Special Police DekaOps
by scikaiju
Summary: AU: Alienizer crimes are getting too numerous for a regular unit to handle. SPD authorizes the creation of an covert ops style of unit to go in where the other units can't.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Best way I can describe this is it's a spin off of an AU spin off. In this universe DekaRanger was set up in Singapore with an entirely human crew. That particular story was done by a friend of mine and other joined in for a Deka Universe of sorts a few years ago. There will be an occasional mention of these other units and what they done, particular in the beginning so I apologize for any confusion over that. But for the most aprt this is a stand alone series so it's pretty straight forward and I hope you enjoy

* * *

Prologue

He sat in a plain waiting room going over things in his head. Two days ago he received a letter. It looked official, he thought it was his acceptance into Ranger school. Instead it told him to report to the Fort Detrick in Maryland to meet with a special committee. He couldn't think of anything that he did wrong that would call for such a need. Nothing that would need him to travel to another state for at least. "Lieutenant?", someone by the now open door said. "They'll see you know."

He stood, adjusted his dress jacket and placed his hat under his arm and marched in. Three men were sitting behind a table, the African American man he recognized immediately, Major Henry Pierce. He was slightly surprised to see him there, he heard a leg injury knocked him out of the Army. The other two, a balding colonel and a general who looked really strict, he didn't know. He walked in front of them and stood at attention, "Lt. Daniel Stevens reporting as ordered Sirs."

"At ease," the colonel said. He set his feet apart and tried not to hyperventilate. "You're not in any kind of trouble so relax." Then why the hell was he called up here then, but he kept that thought to himself. The general reached under the desk and pulled out some kind of futuristic looking rifle and placed it on the table.

"Do you know what this Lieutenant?"

He picked it up and examined it a little closer. "It looks like one of these weapons those Alienizers are suppose to carry."

"Your close," Pierce told him. "It's an Alienizer design alright, but the parts used to make come from here."

"Were we able to copy there technology sir?"

"No. This, and several like it, was confiscated in a raid in the Middle East. We're not sure who made it or how it was distributed. Or how many are out there already."

"Then shouldn't this go to one of those SPD units sir?"

"We were brought in soon enough," a tinny voice said. A walking scorpion came through a side door. It made several clicking noises with its' claw and mouth, a few moments later a device attached to his long black coat replied in that tinny voice. "Pardon me for my rudeness, but I felt it was time to introduce myself."

"Of course," The General replied, somewhat restrained. "Lieutenant, this is Commander Scorp of SPD High Command."

"A nickname, my actual name cannot be spoken by mammal tongue."

"Sir," he nodded sharply. He kept his face neutral. There were a lot of people in the Armed Services who didn't care for this whole SPD mess, he was one of them.

"Outside of discovering a few warehouses and sellers," Scorp continued," our investigation turned up very little."

"I thought SPD was supposed to be the best at this sort of thing", Stevens said.

"They are," the General said. "But each unit is assigned a limited area to cover. There are a ton of places not covered these aliens can use to hide from them."

"And we could not search those areas without causing problem," the commander added. "Do to the unique nature of the political set up on this planet, we do not go where we are not asked."

"I should add," the Colonel spoke up, "that most of the parts in this thing come from the good ol' USA. Plus there some parts from Russia, Iran and God knows where else. Can you imagine the uproar in the Middle East if they're spotted there unannounced."

"We have run into similar problem elsewhere," Scorp said. "Fortunately SPD command has approved a plan to help in these matters. Seeing how most of the parts of this weapon came from this country I approached this government for help in setting things in motion."

"Is this that rumored SPD unit that's supposed to be setting up in Texas?"

"Not exactly," Pierce stood up and walked around the table. For the first time he saw the cane he was using. "That unit is being set up as we speak as is another one. What we're discussing here is a covert ops type of unit."

"This unit will go were the others cannot", Scorp said.

"With all due respect sirs, but what does this have to do with me?" Dan had an idea, he just needed to hear it.

Scorp supplied the answer, "I am told that you will be a perfect fit for this unit.

"Again with all due respect sirs, I don't do spandex."

"The armor is made of a highly flexible metal that enhances you natural abilities," Scorp informed him.

"General," Pierce leaned in, "I know this is unusual but may I speak with the Lieutenant alone."

"Yes Major," Pierce lead him into the side room Scorp came from.

"Are all your soldier that disrespectful", he heard him asking before the door was closed.

"Still know how to make friends don't you Danny?", Pierce chuckled.

"Is this a joke Major?"

"This is totally serious Dan." Pierce looked him right in the eyes, "This is very bad. It's bad enough these Alienizers find this planet so fascinating, now they're selling low grade version of their own weapons to the highest bidder."

"But why me? They as to be somebody else out there more qualified than I am."

"Now I doubt that. I trained you in basic and I been keeping tabs on you over the past couple of years. You are the quickest study I ever meet. You're one of the tops in the field in recon and a shoe in to become one of the best Rangers in history. You also don't take any crap from anyone under you. That's why you were chosen, we need someone like you in this."

"So the units being composed of people in the military?" That he could live with, probably.

"Not exactly. You will be placed with a unit of trained SPD operatives who specialize in field needed for this."

"If they have guys trained in this sort of thing why ask for me?"

"It's a covert unit. SPD authorized it with no problem and we agreed that this was needed. The unit will answer directly to SPD but the government wanted a say in the unit personal if it was going to be headquartered here in the States. You were part of a compromise."

"What was the other part?"

"There will be an alien in the unit as well."

"Perfect," Dan looked out the turned and looked out the window. "So I'd be taking order from that thing in there for now on?"

"Not directly, Commander Scorp is the divisional Commander of the covert unit. From what I understand there are going to be at least four other unit like this on somewhere out there in the Galaxy." He twirled his cane in his hand," I'll be in control of things planet side."

He looked at the Major in surprise," You'll be in control?"

"I like to feel useful, can't do that behind the desk."

"More like you love barking out orders, which you can do behind a desk Major," he smirked.

"I'll keep that off the record. Dan, I was the one who recommended you for this position, I'm asking you to take it."

He looked out the window. People on the other side of that wall were going on with their business, no clue on what was going on in this room. God he really wanted to be one of those people right now. An SPD unit, who in the hell did he piss off. But an assignment was an assignment, no matter how you felt about it. "So where do I report for this thing?"

Pierce smiled and clapped him on the shoulder, "I knew you take it, but you're not in yet. Scorp is worried about you, he's not sure you can keep up with trained SPD officers. So you're sent to planet Nagaus 7 for additional training. You make it past that, you're in like Flynn."

"Additional training? Off planet???"

"Think of it as really intense ranger training, with a whole lot of cool toys at your disposal."

"If it doesn't kill me first."

"I hear the mortality rate is pretty low," Pierce joked. He didn't find it funny. "You leave in three days."

"Not a whole lot of time to prepare."

"We don't have much time to mess around. The unit should be up and running by the time you get back. I'll update you on things here then."

"I'm going to get you back for this, you know that?"

"I'll be waiting for it." Pierce saluted him, he returned it. They went back to the other room were Pierce told him he accepted. The colonel and general nodded in approval, the alien he couldn't read. They dismissed him and he left the room. He would have felt better if they brought him in to charge with something.

*note* this takes place six month prior to the first episode


	2. Chapter 2

Special Police DekaOps

1

He spent several long moments trying to decide if the insect in front of him had dots or dashes covering it's body. Dashes meant he could eat it, he could eat the ones with the dots too, but he be throwing it up a few minutes later. What the hell, he as hungry and he couldn't risk staying in the same spot for much for much longer. Dan snatched the bug off the tree quickly. Taking out his knife he cut the head off, he learned he couldn't make a dent in its shell with his teeth the hard way. "Just like before," he told himself, "do it just like a crawdad." Dan put the shell to his lips and sucked the meat out. His face twisted at the taste, it did not improve over time but it was edible, that's what counted. He rationed out the food stuff he was given at the start of the final exam as best he could. He ran out five days ago, even with mixing in whatever he could find out here in the jungle. And the exam started three weeks ago by his estimation. He should have told Pierce no.

Dan looked at the sky, the first sun was just starting to set. It was going to be a couple of hours before the other one did the same. When they told him they were sending him here for additional training he was expecting some kind of police school, not one mixed in with the survival boot camp from hell. And what a final exam they were given, each "student" was given a backpack of supplies and the bare minimum of gear and told to out into this jungle. The objective was to survive and try to not get caught by the search parties for as long as possible. He could have done that back on Earth, at least there he didn't have to worry about being eaten by the local plant life.

Time to move on. Digging a small hole he buried the shell and blended the dirt in as best he could. Keeping some loose dirt in his hands he rubbed it onto his face, his used to be blond hair and beard and his arms using the sweat to help it stick. Dan set off for what he guessed was south keeping careful attention to his surroundings. A sound made him duck down and he saw the source soon enough, a group of men in helmets and jungle uniforms. Another search party was sweeping the area. There were more and more of them these past couple of days. Slowly he moved away from where they were looking. What he wasn't expecting was the group right behind him. He must be tired, he didn't even see them. "There!", one of the shouted as he pointed in his direction.

Dan ran into a dense patch of bushes. There was an open field not far from this location. He spent some time planting some foot trails there going in different direction. Hopefully it would confuse them long enough to buy him some time, but it was a gamble. One he lost because there was another party there waiting for him. "Damn it!"

"Attention!" a voice barked out. Years of military training made him snap straight. A cat like creature named Mynx walked foreword smartly and stared him down. "What is this filthy slug my men have fished out of the jungle? Could this slug possibly be Daniel Stevens?"

"Sir, yes sir!", Dan answered

"Did you think you were being clever human?"

"Sir, no sir!"

"You're lying to me boy."

"Sir, no sir!"

"If there is one thing I can't stand it's a liar." He turned away from him and started walking the area looking at the ground. Every so often he would rub out one of the footsteps. "Did you honestly think this little trick would work?"

"Yes sir!"

"Finally we hear the truth. It apparently never crossed that human mind of yours that this was the oldest trick in the book." Dan couldn't answer but he resisted the urge to look down. "Did I not say that the only way to pass this last test was to be one of the last five caught?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

Then the cat started eying his men, "Then can someone please explain to me how this lowly slug from Earth was the third to last one caught?" Dan looked at him in surprise after his head was finally able to process what was just said. He quickly went back to attention as Mynx turned around. "That's right son, out of a class of twenty we set loose you are officially number eight teen." He softened his tone, "Congratulation Stevens, you have passed the exam and passed the course." His head started swimming as he took that in. He made it.

"Permission to fall on my ass sir!"

Mynx made this deep guttural type of sound that he learned to recognize as a chuckle, "Permission granted." He fell on his butt and sat there breathing hard. "Help Stevens off with his pack." A couple of Mynx's men came up and took the pack from him. The cat said, "This course was especially designed by Commander Scorp to test the limits of the candidates both physically and mentally. He felt only those who could meet his standards were capable to lead. I must admit a lot of the beings here didn't think you make it to the final exam. I am proud to say that I wasn't one of them. Major Pierce helped design this program. If he thought you were up to the task than I had no reason to doubt you either."

"Pierce had a hand in this hell hole? I thought some of it felt familiar."

Mynx looked down at him for a long time. "For someone who was told they passed you don't look all pleased Stevens."

"I was hoping to outlast that damn lizard sir." That damn lizard was a chameleon-sejin named Chatrox. Everyone had him pegged to pass this course with flying colors. And he let everyone know it every chance he got. He was also very displeased Dan was there, making snide remarks about the "lowly human". A sentiment shared by several others as they gave Dan a wide berth whenever they could. He would have gave anything to show up the apparent ring leader.

"You did Stevens. Chatrox was the first one caught." Dan looked up at him in disbelief. "We caught him sneaking back in a day after the exam started. He was trying to access SPD information from our computers. He was taken off planet to discover who he was doing it for and where he obtained his illegal genetic enhancements."

"Now I'm confused."

"He was able to turn invisible Stevens. That's not natural, at most he should have changed his skin color to blend in with his surroundings. There is going to be hell to pay when command figures out how he got this far."

"Kicked out of SPD?" Mynx nodded. "Couldn't happen to a nicer piece of filth."

"Agreed." Mynx extended a hand and helped him up. "A car will take you back to camp. You can clean up and rest for as long as you like. When you are ready a special meal from Earth will be prepared for you." He made that chuckling sound again, "Commander Scorp may tell me how to treat you during the course but he said nothing about afterwards. I run my troops into the ground but I reward those who can meet or exceed my expectations." He headed for a truck but stopped and looked at him, "Before I forget, Stevens welcome to SPD. Do us proud son." Dan saluted him and followed one of the others to that car.

***

Two days later he was on the Dekaspacebase, minus his razor. So he still had the beard because somebody was curious at how it worked. Right now Dan was still seeing spots after his retinal scan and was being directed to a hallway. Not the one that lead to the shuttle to Earth. No this one lead to another part of the Dekaspacebase. "Now what?", he muttered as he grabbed his duffel bag. A woman in a gray uniform with gold trim lead him through the halls until she stopped in front of a door.

"He's waiting for you in here sir."

"Thank you." She smiled, saluted him and walked off. The door slide open as he stepped forward to reveal a conference room of some sort. There was a long table with a briefcase on it, Pierce was standing in front of a window with Earth silently spinning in the background. The Major was wearing a black uniform with red trim. The SPD Earth symbol was visible on his right shoulder. Dan dropped his bag by the door as he walked over to him. "Captain Daniel Stevens reporting for duty sir."

"At ease Dan." After a moment he looked at him smiling, "Looks like the promotion suits you."

"It was a bit of a surprise."

"After going through that I thought you deserved it. So... did you have fun?"

"Did I have fun?", Dan kept his voice level but the disbelief was still evident. "I was the only human out of a bunch of alien with abilities I didn't think an organic being could have. I spent my days busting my ass to make sure I wasn't left in the dust. Most of my night were spent studying SPD procedure for any pop quizzes Mynx decided to drop on you. And I had to study what was what on that God forsaken planet to make sure I didn't accidentally poison myself. And how in the hell did you sneak a turkey off planet?"

Pierce laughed, "Sounds like you had a blast."

Dan grunted, "So says the man who helped design the damn program."

"Found out about that huh?" He tapped his cane on the ground a few times before speaking, "This has been in the planning stages for awhile Dan. Scorp wanted something similar to what we do during basic. I was called in to supervise. I tried showing them how some things were done."

"Is that what happened to your leg?"

Pierce smile saddened just a bit. "Let's say I should have spent a little more time studying what was what on that planet." He looked back out the window, slowly twirling his cane. "I'm glad we got this room," he said softly. "This view reminds you what you're fighting for."

Dan stood next to him, "How bad are we talking here?"

"A lot has changed since you been gone Dan. There are nine Deka units now, from in the planning stages to fully active. That's including ours."

He whistled, "That's a lot of teams. Any other planets have that many units?"

"To my knowledge most planets only have one. Hell if I know why these Alienizers find Earth so fascinating. Hopefully we'll find out sooner or later." Pierce walked away from the window and sat at the table, Dan followed suit.

"Has the alien arrived yet?" Dan assignment to the team was half of a compromise between SPD command and the US military. The other half was that an SPD officer from another planet would be part of the team. After six month of being the only human that was going to be interesting.

"From my understanding he's still going through immigration at the moment. I have to say Dan, I'm really glad you passed. I'm afraid that if you didn't Scorp would have tried to make a case to have a SPD officer lead the unit in the field. I'll work with anybody but I rather have somebody I trust."

"And trained personally," they both laughed. "So I'm in command in the field? What kind of rejects am I in charge of?"

"There are no rejects in SPD Dan, outside of you of course."

"Ha-ha."

"Your designation on the team is Ops1." Pierce opened the briefcase and handed him three files. "These are three fifth of the team."

"Let's see what I'm dealing with." He opened the first folder. "Terry Kennedy, Ops2," he read out loud. "Team's weapons expert." Mumbling a few things a line of info caught his attention, "The guy choose SPD over SWAT?"

---

There is a dark haired man in a shooting gallery. He's wearing a uniform consisting of boots, black khakis and a black shirt. A blue star is on his right arm. He's holding a D-shooter in one hand and his eyes are closed. Slowly he opens them and raised the D-shooter into firing position with both hands. Firing six times he hits a button that makes the target come to him. All six shots hit near the heart of the target. He smiles as he blows into the barrel of the gun.

---

"Bobby Parker, Ops4," Dan continued. "Explosives and communications? You couldn't afford two separate officers?" Pierce waved the comment off. "Bomb Squad experience, that makes sense. Spent time behind the radio telling officers of various reports that needed police. Either the guy talented or he's split personality."

---

A redheaded man in a black uniform with a yellow star is seen playing a video game. He's wearing a head set talking to someone. Suddenly the character he was playing as dies in a hail of bullets. He takes the jabs from his opponent with good humor as he resets the game.

---

Dan opened the last file, "Trish Fieldman, Ops5. Pilot slash mechanic. Been flying since she was ten. Doing aerial work for the police for about a year."

---

A young Korean woman who had her dark hair in a ponytail and a pink star on her arm is working on a black and white motorcycle. She scratched her cheek accidentally smudging her face with grease. Reaching for a wrench, she was surprised that it wasn't there. Searching the nearby area she finds it on a table behind her.

---

Dan gives the files back to Pierce. "They look qualified, I'm hoping they been working as a team."

"No official assignments as of yet. I wanted the full team ready first. But they're gelling nicely in the drills I've been putting them through."

"Ugh," Dan groaned, "I don't even want to think of the about the tortures you thought up with this at your disposal," he motioned to the room. "It's giving me nightmares and I'm still awake. How do you think they're going to handle two new elements in the mix?"

"We're all professionals Dan, they'll adjust to it. Of course some of us might avoid adjusting for as long as possible." He looked right at Dan as he said that. Before Dan could respond the door beeped. "That should be Ops3." A few seconds later the door slide open again. A humanoid walked in, he looked a little like a brown cricket with a mouth to Dan. Both of them stood up for the new arrival. "Ranzack?", Pierce asked.

"Yes Major Pierce," he said. Pierce and this Ranzack shook hands. Then they turned toward him. "Hello," the alien said as he held out his three fingered hand. There was a calmness to this one that the others on Nagaus 7 didn't have. Dan took his hand readily. "And you are, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Dan Stevens."

"It is a pleasure to meat you Dan Stevens. I'm sure it will be a pleasure to work beside you as well."

"I'm... sure."

"Ranzack is going to be the team medic," the Major told him.

Dan tried to keep the surprise from his face. "Yes, I am a trained Shalimon on my home planet. I believe the closest word in your tongue is healer priest. I've been finishing my studies on human medical treatments while undergoing my SPD training."

"Your training had to be easier than mine. So when do we get back planet side?"

"Our shuttle to earth is ready to go at anytime. Think of it as one of the perks to the job."

***

A jeep took them from the shuttle landing pad to a old one story building a few miles away. Very few people were around as they entered the building. Pierce kept going until they reached a section of wall near the back of the place. He stood in front of it and a section slide to the side revealing an elevator a moment later. "That's where the money for the comm officer went," Dan mumbled. Ranzack looked at him funny. The three of them entered the elevator and the doors closed automatically. A few seconds later they open back up into an octagonal room. A rail in the center of the room separated the floor with a table that was on a lower section. A woman in a white coat with the SPD badge on her front pocket rose from that table to greet them.

"Major, welcome back," she said as she walked to them. "Ranzack," she nodded and took his hand. He lowered his head slightly in return. "Capt. Stevens," she said to him.

"Ma'am," he replied.

Pierce introduced her, "This is Michelle Chavez. She's our information officer. There's nothing she can't find."

"Major Pierce has told me a lot about you Captain," Michelle told him. "I'm looking forward to working with you."

"Lying about me already huh?", he shot a look at Pierce.

"Give a stack of bible and the almighty as a witness and I will swear that everything I've said was the truth. Besides," he added, "any lie would only make you look better than what you are."

"Why would the Major lie about you?", Ranzack asked.

"We've known each other a long time," Dan replied. "Too long sometimes."

"Michelle would you call for the others."

"Sure thing Major," she returned to the table and pressed a button. Her voice could be heard over the PA system. "Will the field team come to the Command Room please." After a few moments the three other members came in through one of the doors on the far side. They surprised Dan by falling in rank.

"Men," Pierce started, "these two are the ones we've been waiting for. Try not to break them before the first assignment," he grinned.

"Sir," the one he recognized as Terry spoke up, "It's a honor to meet you."

Dan looked them over, "I'm assuming the Major told you about me as well?"

"He told us a couple of stories," Bobby told him. "A couple of real embarrassing ones too."

"Boomer", Terry said out of the side of his mouth.

"Boomer?", Dan said looking at them.

"I thought his name was Robert," Ranzack wondered out loud.

"A nickname," Pierce informed him. "All of these guys have one. They usually answer to that instead of their own name."

"They call me Dead-Eye," Terry said, "or D.E. for short."

"Ace," Trish added.

"We're going to have to come up with some for these two," Pierce said while patting Ranzack on the shoulder.

"We can always call the Captain 'Cap'," Michelle said with a smile.

"I've been called worse." Dan readjusted the duffel on his shoulder. "Is there anywhere I can store this?"

"I'll show you," Trish volunteered. "Follow me please." She gestured toward the door she and the others came from. "This hallway leads to one of the living areas of the base. Coming to an intersection she pointed down one hall. "The rec room is down that way along with the door leading to the gym. The living quarters are over here. Each room has a shower unit installed. The restrooms are those doors at the end of the hall," she pointed to a series of doors. One had a male figure on it and a second had a female. The door that grabbed his attention was the one with an alien on it.

"I don't even want to know," he ended up saying out loud.

"Know what?"

"Nothing." He noticed that the doors lining the side had names on them. Well four of them did at the moment. Two had had spots for one but they were currently vacant.

"We got a small support crew here," Trish continued. "About twenty people tops."

"Do they have their own quarters as well?" Ranzack inquired.

"In a separate part of the base. But all the outer section are connected. Major Pierce wanted it that way. Something about keeping traffic in the Command Room to a minimum."

"Makes sense." Dan looked at the two doors then over to Ranzack, "You want first pick?"

"It does not matter to me Captain Stevens."

"Alright," Dan took the door at the far end of the hall. The room was pretty plain. Grey walls with a couple of selves, a closet and a bed. All he needed really.

"I'll let you two rest up," Trish told them. "If you want I'll give you the nickel tour later."

"I look forward to it," Ranzack told her.

"Cool," she said with a grin. "Oh and somebody will be by in a bit with your uniforms. See you guys later."

"Definately not Army," Dan mumbled after the door closed. He dropped his duffel onto the bed and stood there. Noticing one of the closet doors had a mirror he took a long look at himself. "Then again this isn't the Army is it?" His reflection didn't answer back. After a couple of more moments he started to unpack. He was assigned to do a job and he intended to do it.

***

Ranzack was given a uniform with a green star. The four of them stood around the Command Room. Major Pierce was shooting a look at the field team quarters door every so often. Michelle wasn't paying them any attention, but she was keeping an eye on a news feed that was on her monitor. "How much training did you need to do to get this position Ranzack?", D.E. asked to break the silence.

"I've been studying medical practice of several planets for several years now. Most Shalimon on my planets look down on such a practice. Other, like myself, feel we are not so wise that we cannot learn something new."

"So how did you end up in this then," Ace asked. "If I was interested in medicine a police unit would be the last place I'd be."

"True," he agreed, "I was finishing up my studies on your medicine when I joined SPD." He lowered his head before continuing, "I am a bit of an anomaly among my cast because I see the Alienizers as an illness on this universe."

"So you're going to try to cut it out," Boomer chimed in.

"In a manner of speaking. I asked for some of the Great Spirit wisdom to guide me in my decision. It lead me to join SPD and ultimately this unit."

"Great Spirit?", D.E. leaned against the railing. "Oh, I can see you and me are going to have some interesting discussions." Ranzack nodded.

"Would you stop worrying", Michelle said low enough that only Pierce heard her.

"I'm not worrying," he said, "just wondering."

"If he's anything like you said he was he won't disappoint you."

"And a person can change in six months."

"Did he seem different when you picked him up?"

"Not that I noticed." The door to the field team quarters opened up and Dan walked out. He was wearing the same black uniform as the others, his right arm carrying a red star. He also shaved that beard off his face. They all noticed the determined look in his eyes that wasn't there before. Now that was the soldier he remembered. The other four snapped into attention.

"You know Captain," Boomer said, "not a whole lot of guys can pull that look off. But you do it beautifully."

Dan gave him a dead serious look, "Do you think you're funny?"

Boomer stammered," I... I used too."

"Damn, we're probably gonna need a good laugh after some of these missions." Boomer wasn't sure how to respond.

"I hate it when you do that," Pierce told him. Dan let a small smirk escape before covering up. "Fall in troops," he ordered. The five of them got in line. "Before we get started we need to equip our newest members. Michelle, would you do the honors?"

"Of course." She pulled two devices off the table. They were black with a white front and SPD in black letters. There was a lever on the side with Change, Phone and Judgment also written in black. "These are your Opslicense," she handed one to Dan and Ranzack. "You are to carry these at all times, in uniform or not. Just so you know the Judgment mode on these is an altered version than the ones the other units have."

"Altered how?", Dan asked.

"On the other units circle means innocent and x means guilty," she told him. "On these circle me apprehend the target. You bring them in no matter what they done. They might have information we need. X means eliminate the target. That one speaks for itself."

"Thank you Michelle." Pierce stood before them and looked each one in the eye. "You are now part of a special unit. You are the Dekaranger Covert Operation Team, or DekaOps. You are to do the jobs the other units can't." He pointed his cane at screen with a map on it. The map was color coded to show which unit covered which area. There was a whole lot of white on that map. "As of now the only ones who know we exist are SPD command and the commanders in each region. We'll do what we can here in the states. But if ordered we will go into an unprotected area on a moment's notice. If needed we will go into an area already protected by an SPD unit, but only, and I repeat ONLY, at the request of the area's commander. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!," they responded in unison.

Dan stepped forward, "What is it Cap?". Dan flinched slightly at being called that, but only he saw it.

"What if a case requires us to change regions?"

"Good question. If a lead goes to a region that is protected by an SPD unit then we are suppose to hand over all information relating to the case and let them handle. I don't like it either but that is the mandate. If a lead from here points to an unprotected region than we ask permission from SPD command to follow up. And from what I understand, with our military ties, we're going to need a damn good lead.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are not your standard police unit. There are going to be situation where we are going to have to get a little dirty. Command may not like it, but that is our reality. May God have mercy on our souls. Dismissed."

They kind broke up. D.E. and Boomer were making some small talk. Ace was pointing out the door that lead to the medical section for Ranzack. Dan looked at the license in his hand. He opened it up and stared at the black SPD badge on the inside. Closing it up he placed in it holster behind his back. Time to figure out what was what in this place.


	3. Chapter 3

Special Police DekaOps: 2

Dan was able to get the feel of the OpsBase, as the others called it, pretty quickly. Actually he was surprised how quickly this place felt like home. Then again after being where he was for the last six month anyplace would feel like home. Walking into the Command Room he noticed Michelle was talking to D.E., who was excited about something. "What's going on?", he asked as he walked up to them.

"We finally got the Mark Two D-shots in," he said.

"Cool, now what in the hell is a Mark Two D-Shot?"

D.E. looked at Michelle then back at him, "You don't know what it is?"

"It wasn't in any manual I was given."

"Well, it's still rather new," Michelle told him. "It's one of your primary weapons. Why don't we show him what it can do D.E."

"Yes ma'am." They lead him to the door that lead to the training section of the OpsBase. Then they entered the shooting range. Michelle walked over to a bay and picked up a long white gun with a black handle and grip under the barrel. It looked kind of like a shotgun in a way, that alone helped him wrap his head around it.

"This," she started, "Captain Stevens, is the Mark Two D-Shot. It fires a high density energized projectile. It works better at close range but you can still do some damage if you target is a little further away. The effective range is estimated at fifteen meters. Give it ago," she handed him the weapon.

Dan faced a target and held the D-shot about waist high. With his left hand he pulled the grip back until he heard a click, slid it back and pulled the trigger. A blue energy shot flew out of the barrel and left a nice size hole in the target. "Now that I understand."

"Thing of beauty ain't it," D.E. grinned.

Dan started examining the latch at the back of the weapon, "What's this for?"

"The Opslicense hook in there," Michelle said. "When you get an elimination order it'll boost the power level."

"Basically we're deleting our target," D.E. added. Dan still had a hard time wrapping his head around that idea. Still he was trained to follow orders.

He put the gun down, "Anything else I should know about?"

"Actually there was one more thing," Michelle said. She went to a nearby table and picked up a red and black gun he didn't recognize from before before. He spent the last few days practicing with the D-Shooter, the unit's standard firearm. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the idea of a new handgun being sprung on him. "Maj. Pierce had me request this for you."

"I don't need a special weapon."

"It's kind of a SPD tradition Cap," D.E. said. "The team leader always gets a unique firearm." He shot him a look, "Really, look it up."

"This is the D-Colt," Michelle told him." It's the single unit version of the D-Magnum." He took the gun in his hand, it had a nice heft to it. Felt pretty natural in his hand too. "Unlike the D-Magnum it can't do a Strikeout, but you can switch it between single and multishot. I'm assuming you can be happy with that."

"Only one way to find out." Dan aimed it at the target. He fired off a couple of shots, all of them landed close to where he was aiming. The accuracy was pretty good on this thing. Flicking a switch by his thumb he fired again. This time three shots fired at once. He let a small smile show on his face. "I can live with it."

"You're going to have to let me play with that one of these days," D.E. told him while eyeing the gun.

"As soon as you explain to me why you're the weapon expert when she's the one telling me about these things."

"He's got you there D.E.," she teased.

Well... , "he thought it over," she's the information officer and she informing you about them."

Dan handed the D-Colt back to Michelle, "Nice try."

***

Pierce was walking the hallways of the OpsBase when he ran into Ace. He was afraid he knew why it looked like she was looking for him. He kept his attention on the file in his hand while he hoped she would just keep going in the other direction. Too bad she kept saying, "Major Pierce," over and over.

"What is it Ace", he said tiredly.

"I was wondering if you got that request form I filled out."

"Which one Ace?", he unintentionally said out loud. She wasn't fazed.

"The one for the new power regulator for the laser on the Shepard."

"There's nothing wrong with the regulator we have now. Even you said it worked well above operating specs."

"Yeah but Michelle was telling me about a newer model that would increase the efficiency rating for the laser." He made a mental note to talk to Michelle later. "The Shepard deserves the best. Actually there were these new style spark plugs I wanted to get for the Hounds too."

An SPD officer in a black uniform with blue trim walked up and handed him a sheet of paper. Saved by the red tape. His mood changed when he read the paper." Ace..."

"Find the others and get them into the Command Room?", she read his mind.

"Right," he affirmed." It's officially go time."

***

It only took a few moments to locate the others. Ranzack and Boomer were in the rec room while Dan, D.E. and Michelle were in the shooting range. They all hustled to the Command Room and got in line while Michelle took her spot at the table. Pierce hand her pull up an image of a Alienizer style rifle on the screen. Dan rolled his shoulder as he recognized the picture on the screen. "I'm sure," Pierce began, "you know what this is."

"It was the reason why I was volunteered," Dan said under his breath. Ranzack looked at him briefly before returning his attention to the screen.

"One of the reasons why this unit was formed was because the Alienizers were using Earth technology to make weapons like this one. Seeing how the original model of the weapon is illegal in most galaxies they think they found a loophole by making copies of it. We are going to show them otherwise."

"Did we find out where they're coming from?" Boomer asked.

"Unfortunately no, but we have something almost as good." He handed a disk to Michelle who put it in a drive on her desk. An image of a warehouse replaced that of the rifle. "I'm not sure if Cap knows this yet but we have a network of informants. Through them we were able to discover that this building is being used as storage space before the weapons are shipped out to God knows were. You're job is to go in there and destroy the shipment and deal with any resistance you might encounter."

Michelle rose from the table, "If you can try to find out where they came from and where they were being shipped to. Any information you can gather can help us." She handed a rectangular device to Dan. "This will let you get into any computer you may find on site. If need be I can use it to set up a remote link to our systems here."

"So if it says 'you got mail' don't blow it up," Boomer joked.

"Then you better hope none of the rifle are programmed to say that," D.E. told him. Dan cleared his throat. "Sorry Cap."

"I told you, laughs after the mission."

"Lady and gentlemen, this is our first job," Pierce said before pausing to look them in the eyes. "Try not to mess this up too badly."

"Wait," Boomer said suddenly, "are we getting a robot for this one?" D.E. and Ace both groaned.

"There is no robot," Pierce said like he had this conversation before, "never was one and we'll never have one."

"Other units have a robot," he whined.

"A robot going to be a little flashy for what we're going to be doing."

"Boomer zip it," Dan ordered. "Suit up people, we launch in twenty." They saluted and headed for a door.

"I'll send you all the information on the building I can find before you land," Michelle told them.

"What you don't find I'll fill in," Dan said as he followed the others.

***

In the launch hanger a crew of eight were busy getting a black jet with white highlights ready to launch. In a room down the hall of the hanger the team was putting on their field gear. A "bulletproof" vest, fingerless gloves, a small supply pack on their back and various electronic devices in the lockers. Ranzack was studying one of the SP-Shooter, one designed for his three fingered hand, rather closely. Dan tested the sharpness of the black knife in his hand before putting it back in the sheath on his right leg before he asked, "You sure you can do this Ranzack?"

Ranzack holstered the weapon saying, "I will do my duty Captain. I will not hesitate if that is what you are worried about."

"Not what I was asking," he said as he put a black ball cap on his head. Ranzack remained silent. "We're launching in five people." Dan led them out of the room, any doubt he had earlier now gone from his mind. Pierce and Michelle were standing in the hanger waiting for them. Somebody said the Machine Shepard was green for launch. Dan had to silently admit these guys were good.

"You ready?", Pierce asked as they past. While D.E. and the others all said they were, Dan made a shooting motion with his right hand. Pierce had to smile, "Like there was ever any doubt."

"You're resorting to secret hand signal now?", Michelle asked him.

"Something him and his buddies came up with while they were under me," he explained. He showed her the gesture, first he stuck up his thumb, "Cocked," then he extended his index finger to form a gun, "locked," he finished with the shooting motion, "ready to rock. If he did anything else I'd be worried right about now." With that he exited the hanger.

A voice over the loud speaker announced for everyone to leave the hanger as the team boarded the jet from the ramp in the back. A cargo bay with a cell and a small medical bay were passed as they entered the cockpit. Ace took a seat behind the control as Dan sat in a chair that was slightly behind her and to the right. D.E. took a console that was in the back of the room while Boomer and Ranzack took the ones on the sides. Ace checked a few reading before announcing, "This is the Shepard, we are ready for launch."

"The sky and surrounding area is clear of civilians. Shepard, you are clear for lift off." The ceiling above them opened up and the jets under the ship came to life. Slowly the Shepard lifted off the ground and the landing gear folded into the craft.

"Nice and easy Ace," Dan told her.

"No offense Cap," she said, never taking her eyes off the controls," but I don't tell you how to command."

"Is it wise to talk that way to a commanding officer?", Ranzack asked them.

"Never argue with the person piloting the ship," Dan told him. In moments they were above the tree line of the forest behind the building that disguised their HQ.

"Cap, we're getting a transmission from Michelle," Boomer called out.

"Let's hear it." A small screen above the windshield came to life.

"I'm sending you an update on the information I've found on the warehouse."

"Is there a brick we don't know about yet?", he asked her. Dan was still amazed at the amount of info she pulled up while they were getting ready.

She smiled at him, "Just making sure you don't have that many blanks to fill in. I'm sending the file now."

"We're getting the information with no problem Cap," Boomer said.

"Thanks Michelle, Shepard out." He motioned for Boomer to cut the connection. Dan looked over the update as it came in. He had a feeling that Michelle could find the proverbial needle in a haystack with no problems. "ETA?"

"Thirty minutes to middle of nowhere California," Ace said. She glanced over at him, Dan pointed foreword with two fingers, "Rodger." She brought the rear engines online and the ship shot foreword. After a minute she said, "The no smoking and seat belt signs are now off. You're free to walk around the cabin."

"Cute," he told her. "Alright guys I think we..."

"Ah Captain," Ranzack said somewhat tentatively.

"Yeah Ranzack?"

"I was wondering if it would be alright if I offered a small prayer to the Great Spirit for our well being and mission?"

"If nobody has any objections then go for it."

"Thank you Captain." Ranzack lowered his head. Dan took off his hat as the other did the same. "Great Spirit, creator of all, guidance of the universe. May your wisdom engulf your humble follower and my companions. Let our action help ease this universe of the malady that now sickens it and those who live in it. Protect us and let us know always the path of that which is right." Ranzack lifted his head as he finished.

"Amen," Boomer said.

"Sounds like something my Reverend would say," D.E. told them.

"Reverend huh?", Boomer looked over at Ranzack. Ace, D.E. and Dan looked at each other, Ranzack might have just gotten his nick name. Dan went over the plan in flight. Ace landed the Shepard about mile away from the target building. She wasn't kidding when she said it was in the middle of nowhere. There was desert as far as the eye could see.

"Any signs of life?" Dan looked over to Ranzack, he checked a sensor at his post

"I am detecting one life form in the building."

"Just one for that entire building?", Ace looked at them.

"Seems strange to me too," he told her. "How about the surrounding area?" Ranzack went back to his sensor but shook his head. One thing they drilled into him during those six month that he made sure he took to heart was pretty simple. Just because there was just one doesn't me it was alone. "Alright, let's do this by the numbers people." They all nodded and exited the ship. Before he could say anything Ace pulled out a controller and pointed it at the ship. It shimmered and disappeared from view.

"Somebody remember where we'd parked." Boomer joked.

***

They covered the distance to the warehouse pretty quickly. The weapons were being stored at the taller section on the east end of the building. So they were going in at the west part. At his command Boomer put a small explosive device on the door and blew the lock. D.E. and Ace went in first SP-Shooter in hand and gave the all clear. They walked through the building to the storage area with no incident. Dan was starting to get a little jumpy, there should have been some kind of security system in place somewhere. But he examined every hallway before he let them entered, nothing. Approaching the door the storage area Dan reached into a pocket and pulled out two devices. One was a cylinder shape device with a knob and an optic fiber on the other end that he slid under the door. He attached the other one to his head, a small rectangle with a wire that stretched over his eyebrow. Dan pressed a button on the rectangle and an image of the other side of the door, supplied by the optic, appeared in front of his eye. Manipulating the knob on the cylinder he was able to get a good idea on what was on the other side. He found the life form Ranzack detected, it was some kind of leopard type alien wearing armor.

Keeping an eye on the alien he carefully tried the doorknob, it was unlocked. Dan held up two fingers then three and made a half circle motion in the air. D.E. and Ranzack nodded and went down the hallway. Dan stowed his equipment and opened the door and waved Ace and Boomer in quickly. He closed the door as he entered and hid behind a crate. One of several that filed the room. Dan looked over the box at the alien. He was holding a device and seemed to be talking into it. Looking over to Boomer he gestured to the crate behind him. He took out his license and scanned it. Ace did the same to the one behind them. Both of the nodded, the rifles were in there. Dan pulled out his license and pulled up a map of the area. Two dots representing D,E, and Ranzack flashed once, they were in position. He tapped a sensor on his right glove once. They put their license back made their way to the leopard.

He screamed suddenly and threw the device, "I can't stand new Agents! Always trying to impress the bosses." Dan relaxed a bit, they weren't spotted. Time to change that.

Dan tapped the sensor twice, go time. Almost as one they came out of hiding, their weapons aimed at the leopard, "SPD freeze!" The alien grabbed a rifle that was on top of the crates and started firing making them duck back into hiding.

"There wasn't supposed to be any of you freaks here!" the leopard said. He pulled two grenades off his armor and tossed them in the air. Twenty Anaroids formed, some of them smashed into a crate to pull out the rifles and started firing. "Get them freaks."

"Not good!", Boomer yelled as he and the other returned fire

"Tell me something I don't know!", Dan barked.

"Cap," Ace said, "time to up the game." He knew what she was talking about, he just didn't want to use it. Dan looked up and saw a couple of Anaroids trying to flank their position.

Damn it, he made a fist and pounded his leg. He didn't have a choice, "Change standby! Boomer light it up!" Boomer pulled out a grenade and threw it straight up as they covered their eyes. It exploded in a bright flash of light, one designed to temporally disrupt the Anaroids motor function. The Leopard covered his eyes and screamed but the Anaroids started moving soon enough but it gave them enough time. All of them stood up and held their license across their chest, "Emergency!", then they thrust them foreword, "DekaOps!" A press of the button in the middle opened the white plate revealing a black SPD badge that started shining.

Dan was surrounded by a red digital field as the Deka metal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark red stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the red and black formed the outline for a number one. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka metal flashed over his head and formed a dark red helmet.

Dead-Eye was surrounded by a blue digital field as the Deka metal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark blue stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the blue and black formed the outline for a number two. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka meatal flashed over his head and formed a dark blue helmet.

Ranzack was surrounded by a green digital field as the Deka metal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark green stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the green and black formed the outline for a number three. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka metal flashed over his head and formed a dark green helmet.

Boomer was surrounded by a yellow digital field as the Deka metal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark yellow stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the yellow and black formed the outline for a number four. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka metal flashed over his head and formed a dark yellow helmet.

Ace was surrounded by a pink digital field as the Deka metal formed around her body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark pink stripe went down the middle of her body from her shoulders to the top of her boots, on the left side of her chest the pink and black formed the outline for a number five. A backpack solidified on her back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka metal flashed over her head and formed a dark pink helmet.

Dan reached behind his right shoulder and unlatched the D-shot from his pack and held it in both hands, "Ops1."

D.E. pulled out his D-Shooter and twirled it around his finger before bringing it across his chest, "Ops2."

Ranzack slide his left foot back and but his arms up in a fight position, "Ops3."

Boomer reached behind him and pulled out a knife, "Ops4."

Ace brought out a D-Rod and held it back about head high, "Ops5."

"Special Police," Dan started. The light on their helmet flashed and they all said, "DekaOps!"

"How many of you Deka freaks are there?!" the leopard said blinking its eyes. "Don't just stand there, get them!"

"Take the bots down," Dan said plainly. All of them rushed the Anaroids. D.E. jumped into a group of five and started firing, three of them went down no problem. A forth grabbed him from behind and a fifth took aim. Then it stopped and fell to the ground, a knife stuck in the back of its head. D.E. flipped the other one to the ground and they both blasted it with their D-Shooter.

"Thanks," D.E. said.

"No problem buddy," Boomer told him. He unlatched the D-Shot and brought it forward. "Time to upgrade."

"Guess you're right," he agreed and did the same.

Ace and Razack had each other's back as they unloaded on the Anaroids. One came from the side and they split up. Ace brought the D-Rod back out and cocked it behind the knees as Ranzack kicked it in the chest. He shot it point blank leaving a fist size hole in its chest. They looked at each other and nodded and went back to work.

Dan walked foreword taking out any Anaroid that he saw. He switched the D-Shot to his left hand and pulled out the D-Colt. He shot four of them before switching to multishot. He turned the gun sideways and swept his arm as he fired. Two slugs planted an Anaroid while the third hit a second one. Another one tried to catch him by surprise and Dan placed the barrel of the D-Shot in it's hand. He pushed it foreword until he heard the click and pulled the trigger. It flew back as he holstered the D-Colt and brought the D-Shot back around. Looking around he saw Boomer take out the last one. "Now that was a rush," he had to admit. "Alright Spot... ," he told the Leopard before it started firing the rifle again.

"Die!" They ducked behind any cover they could find. Before they knew it D.E. jumped up and fired a single shot. The Leopard dropped the rifle and held it's hand, "Argh!"

"Nice shooting Tex," Boomer said.

"Actually the family originally from Oklahoma," D.E. told him.

Ranzack, D.E., Dan, Boomer and Ace all stood in front of the alien. "Holding illegal weapons," Dan said, "firing on officers of the law. It's not looking good. Let's see if he knows anything." He pulled out his license, switched it to Judgment and pressed the button. The area went dark as a blue circle and a red X flashed in front of the Leopard. After a minute the X on the license flashed brightly, "Eliminate target." The other took out their license and the all attached them to the D-Shot. "Ready," D.E. and Boomer went to a knee and they aimed their weapon at the alien. As one they pulled back the grip, inside the D-Shot energy built up and traveled through the gun to the front part of the barrel. "Strikeout!", and they pulled the trigger. Five energy streams shot out and in moments the leopard was disintegrated.

"Got 'im!", Boomer shouted out.

"We still got a mission to finish people," Dan told them. "Get that done and we can go home." They deactivated the suits and went to work.

D.E. went over to the rifle the Leopard had and checked it out, "Hey Cap."

"What is it?"

"This one isn't home grown, so to speak."

"Great, an off planet version," Dan said. "Anybody see anything that looks like a computer?"

"Kinda," Ace called out.

"Kinda? Do I want to know?"

"I think it took a hit during the fire fight."

Dan groaned, "Take it with us, maybe Michelle can salvage the hard drive." He grabbed a couple of crowbars and handed one to D.E. "Help me open one of these crates."

"Alright, but why?", He asked.

"Plan B, we take one of these back and break it down. We'll try to figure out what came from where the hard way. I've seen one of these before but I don't know if the military still has it or if Scorp took it with him. So our access to it might be limited. Take the other one with us too. Maybe the differences in the rifles will tell us something. Boomer, do you have enough explosives to take this shipment out?"

"Do chicken have beaks?" he replied.

"I'll take that for a yes."

***

The team was back at the OpsBase hours later, already debriefed and trying to relax. Ranzack was sitting in a corner reading an earth history book. Ace was siting on top of the couch watching D.E. and boomer playing a video game. She had winner, depending on who won that is. Pretty soon the level was over, D.E. was the winner, "Oh come on," Boomer cried.

Ace told him, "You challenged him to a game that needed a light gun, duh."

D.E. looked at her, "Your turn."

"You kidding, I was holding out for a miracle that Boomer would win." She jumped off the couch and sat next to Ranzack.

The Major walked in looking rather pleased, "Good news guys, Commander Scorp was slightly impressed with your performance. From what I understand that's a small miracle in and of itself." He looked around the room, "Hey, where's Cap? I'd figured he be in here."

"He said something about working on his form," D.E. answered.

"I don't think he likes us," Boomer said.

"The Captain is still trying to adjust to his new post," Ranzack said.

"Ranzack right, or should I say Rev?" That name stuck to him pretty fast, even Dan called him that once or twice so far.

"What ever you wish Major," was his response.

"Like he said, Cap just needs some time to get to know you better. Then he really going to hate you guys," he said with a grin.

Ace said, "Boomer I can understand, but me?" Boomer threw a pillow at her. They got in a few good natured jabs at each other before Pierce left. He walked until he got to the gym. On the far side he saw a guy pounding away at the heavy bag. The eagle tattoo on his shoulder told him that it was Dan. He tapped his cane a few times on the floor before turning around and walking away. He wasn't shadow boxing so it wasn't too much of a concern at the moment. Sometimes a man just needed sometime alone and they can talk later. Besides his wife was expecting home for dinner in an hour.


	4. Chapter 4

Special Police DekaOps

3

It was a pretty quiet day as Dan walked the streets. There wasn't much he could do at the moment. Michelle and D.E. were going over both rifles they brought back with a fine tooth comb. Ace was in the hanger running diagnostics on the Shepard. Boomer was, in his words, tweaking the communication gear while Rev was doing whatever. Lucky for him Pierce gave him a tip about a pretty decent book store in the small town next to OpsBase. He was just glad to get out of that uniform they gave him into a pair of black jeans, a red t-shirt and a leather bomber jacket. Besides he felt the need to stretch his legs a bit.

He walked past a shop selling a mirror on the sidewalk and got a good look at what was behind him. Or should that be who? Dan stopped saying, "What is it?", and turned around. Rev stood there wearing a green hoodie over his uniform, the hood being pulled over his head.

"Nothing Captain," Rev answered. "The Major let me have some time to explore. Seeing how you were allowed to leave as well I thought I might join you."

"Uh-huh," Dan muttered. "And why would you want to hang out with me?"

"It accord to me that you would have a unique view on things. Seeing how you felt a rifle volunteered you."

"You heard that huh?", Dan turned around and started walking again. Rev caught up with him and walked by his side.

"I have exceptional hearing for my species." he said matter of factly. "A gift from the Great Spirit when I was born."

"Good for you." They were both quiet for a few yards. "You do realize that one of the others could give you a more interesting tour."

"Perhaps," he agreed. "But you and I are teammates because of the negotiations between your military and SPD command. That gives us a unique bond."

"You probably have more of a bond with the others than you do with me."

"Why do you say that?"

"You guys are cops, I'm a soldier. There's not a whole lot we have in common."

"I didn't realize that there was a difference."

"To me there is," Dan said plainly. "Cops are on call twenty four hours a day. Soldiers only go out when there's an attack or when the politicians get tired of talking. It's worlds apart."

"An interesting outlook Captain," Rev told him. "Is that why you try to keep your distance from myself and the others?"

"No... I... ," he tried to find the right words, "it's hard to explain. I've always tried to keep my personal and professional lives separate. It makes it a little easier when I have to make the hard call."

"You made these 'hard call' before I take it."

"Once or twice," he stopped remembering those times. "And I'm always lying to myself because it's never easy." He found the bookstore he was Pierce was talking about. A crowd was formed in front of it. Some guy was standing above the crowd on the bed of a pickup truck was speaking. It was a speech he heard before.

"And there are more coming every single day!," he shouted. "We have a hard time finding decent work as it is. Now we have to worry about E.T taking it because it'll work cheap. Next thing you know it'll want to live next door. Do you really want one of those freaks living next to you? I sure as hell don't." Some in the crowd nodded in agreement. A woman broke away from the crowd and threw a piece of paper in a trash can. Dan took it out and looked it over. At the top of the page was a drawing of the planet Earth with a 1st right in the middle.

Dan read a few words below the picture out loud, "Earth First? Why does that sound familiar? Now I remember," he snapped his fingers, "these guys were just starting up before I left for Nagaus 7. They were small time back then."

"They appear to have gained a larger following since then," Rev said as he looked over the crowd.

"Let's get out of here before they see you." They turned around as his License beeped. He pulled it out and switched it to Phone mode, "This is Stevens go."

"Cap," Michelle said, "we were able to locate were one of the components came from. The major wants you back at base pronto."

"Understood, I have Rev with me and we're headed back to base now." He closed it and put back in its holster.

"Ah Captain," Rev said as he looked over the crowd. "Do you agree with them? Do you believe aliens should not be here?" Before he could answer Dan realized he still had the piece of paper in his hand, and he was looking at the time and place of the next meeting. He crumbled it up and tossed it back into the trash.

"A few months ago I probably would have."

***

Dan and Rev came out of the elevator to find the others already in place. Pierce nodded at them as they got in line. "I can wait a couple of moments if you want to change into uniform."

"No need sir, I can do it after the briefing."

"Very well, Michelle," he walked over to the screen. An image of an apple orchard appeared. "As hard as it is to believe part of the rifle is being assembled here in upstate Washington."

"Must have had a lot of bad crops," Boomer said.

"Not exactly," Michelle said. "It took me a bit but I was able to get something out of that computer you brought back. I was surprised as you when this popped up when I did a search. So I did a little checking and wasn't able to find anything, that is until D.E. came to me the results of the rifle breakdown."

"So what did D.E. find that SPD couldn't?", Dan asked.

"The idiot took apart the power core for the rifle," Pierce said looking at Dead-Eye.

"I'm guessing that's a bad thing."

"In a way Cap," Michelle said. "One of the reasons why this rifle is illegal is because the core is highly unstable. One some planets it's been known to take out an area of about ten feet when breached or becomes over heated. Its location right under the barrel of the weapon means its chances of taking a hit during combat are rather high." They all paled a little as they thought of all the crates in the warehouse.

"I think my life just passed before my eyes," Boomer said.

"You're not the only one," Ace told him.

"That would have been nice to know beforehand," Dan told Pierce.

"Orders from Commander Scorp," Pierce told them, "He didn't want anything to hamper your performance in the field." He looked apologetic, "I didn't like it either but I had to follow orders."

"Wait a sec, why wasn't the explosion bigger then when Boomer blew them up?", D.E. asked

"Fortunately the Earth version of the model breach only has a range of four feet," Michelle answered. "Not as bad, but still way below standard galactic regulations. Bedsides I did say the range was ten on some planets."

"That explains why the crates were spaced like they were," D.E. said.

"So what did the power source tell us?"

"The whole power core told us nothing," she reached into a pocket and pulled out a small coil like device. "This, however, was another story. This regulates the power core so it doesn't explode unexpectedly in the user hands. After a little checking I discovered that only one company in the entire world makes this particular component. And every few months they ship a few boxes to that orchard farm."

"We sent word to the proper authorities to have the company checked out and find out why they were shipping these to a place that grows apples for a living," Pierce said. "We can't touch that company but these guys," he pointed at the screen, "are a different story. Your job is to go in and take them out."

"One word of warning," Michelle added. "One of the chemicals used to make the core is toxic to organic life. So whoever's in there might be using Anaroids to build them."

"So expect heavy resistance, anything else?"

"One thing, any information I could find about the place only goes as far as 2000. I'll keep checking but you may have a lot of blanks to fill in."

"One of Caps favorite things is filling in blanks," Pierce told her, "right?" Dan nodded once. "Alright them, go get them."

"Rodger!", they saluted and went off.

***

The Shepard landed in a clear patch in the orchard that was a couple of miles from the target building. Dan had them keep to the trees and off the roads as much as possible. When the processing building came into view he pulled out a pair of binoculars and surveyed the area. "Nothing on the outside of the building... wait," he adjusted the binoculars slightly. "I got an Anaroid."

"Where?", D.E. pulled out a pair.

"Ground floor, third window from the left."

"Got it." He checked out a few spots, "I got a couple on the roof too."

"I see them." He put the binoculars back into his pack. This might be a little tough.

"I can take out the ones on the roof from here," D.E. reached for his pack, Dan stopped him.

"Not unless you can take them all out with one shot. Rev, can you get any life sign reading from here?"

"No Captain," he said while doing something with the scanner in his hand. "Whatever they are using to jam our sensors is still effective at this range." Dan looked up and saw an owl sitting a tree. That building had a half mile dead zone around it. Somebody was hiding something there alright.

"Cap," Boomer called out, "our radios are being jammed too." Dan pulled out his License, he was just barely getting a signal from the others though the static.

"That's a damn good field," Ace said. "I didn't see anything thing on the roof when we did the fly by on the way in. More than likely it's inside there."

"I think you're right." He studied the whole situation in his head. "I'm changing the mission profile. Boomer you're going to find whatever is doing the jamming. Find a way to counteract it so we don't have to go through this again down the line. Ace, back him up."

"Rodger," Ace replied.

"You got it," Boomer added.

"Like I told you before I want gun fire kept to a minimum. If you have to fire aim high. I'm not in the mood to get blown up." They nodded, they weren't much in the mood for it either. "All right just like we discussed on the Shepard, we're going in full gear."

They pulled out their Ops License, "Emergency! DekaOps!"

With Rev backing him up Dan went first. He ducked under a window as an Anaroid passed by and waited a moment before making sure the area was clear. Rev motioned that the roof was clear so he gave the signal for the others to come in. Boomer checked a device from his pack and looked up. He was getting a reading from the second floor. D.E. pointed out a staircase and they went up. Dan made the others get in the staircase when he heard something coming around the corner. He reached behind his back and pulled out his D-Knife. An Anaroid passed the stairwell that he quickly grabbed and stabbed in the power core. "One down," he whispered.

***

Much to his surprise Boomer and Ace found the jammer pretty quickly. Now if only it wasn't in a rather open room. Ace pulled out her D-Shooter as Boomer made his way to the device. She kept her eyes on the hallway they came from and the one on the other side of the room. "Exactly how much time are you going to need?"

"Depends on what kind of encryption their using," he went to work on the keyboard.

"Just use that hacking device Michelle came up with."

"If you can find Cap and get him or it up here before they find me I'll use it."

"Cap had Michelle make it standard equipment in our backs remember," she reached into hers and pulled it out.

"When did he tell you about that?"

"Same time he told all of us, this morning in the rec room."

"Was I even there?"

"I just got done kicking your butt in that wrestling game you made me play. He asked if you heard him and you said yes." Boomer grunted and took the device from her hand. "You still owe me twenty bucks from that game." Boomer shot her a nasty look behind the helmet.

***

Resistance was kind of sparse as Dan and the others made their way into the building. Fortunately they were able to take care of things rather quickly and quietly. D.E. was having a hard time of it at first but he was holding his own. Rev grabbed one and turned it's had completely around. As they were hiding the bodies Dan scouted ahead. He peered around a corner and saw a large room. Reaching into his pack he pulled out the sky probe and tossed it into the air. It hovered in mid air for a second before silently flying about the room. Rev and D.E. walked up as an image came to life on the pad in his hand.

The room looked like some kind of processing plant, maybe some of the machines were used to turn the apples into cider or something. Several robots, not just Anaroids, were working at tables spread across the room. He saw a couple that were inserting the regulator coil into the power core. He also spotted several barrels of one of the chemicals Michelle said was needed for the power core. Then he noticed two people in an enclosed area. Obviously to protect them from the chemicals. For once he was glad the Dekasuit had a helmet to filter it out. The two in the glass cage were leopard-seijin, just like the one at the warehouse. He adjusted the controls until he could hear what they were saying through the glass, and that damn static.

"... don't like this," the one with a more reddish tint to his fur said. "We should have heard from Jeter by know."

"Maybe SPD got him," the other one said.

"Don't be an idiot! There's no SPD unit here or in California. Hell little brother, there's no unit in this entire country."

"There's supposed to be one starting in the mid-west."

"That's the mid-west this is here. Now relax, that new Agent is suppose to be here at any time."

"Yes brother," the other said as he sat in chair and tried to do as he was told.

Dan called back the probe as his License beeped, he got a clear signal. "Good job Boomer," he whispered into it."

"Thanks Cap," he said at a normal tone before Dan shushed him. A robot looked their way before but it went back to work. A little more quietly he said, "What's your position?"

"We found the lab and who's in charge. Can you get to it from the second floor?"

"I don't think so, but Ace found a second set of stairs. She said it looks like it leads to a large room with machines."

"That's the room. Can you see two leopards in a glass cage from where you're at?"

"Cap, this is Ace," she cut in. "There about twenty feet in front of my position."

"Ok I want the two of you to hold back for a moment. Me, Rev and D.E. are going to make ourselves known. While we're distracting them you two try to capture the ones in the cage."

"Rodger," they answered.

Dan motioned for the others to follow him. They went about five feet into the room before hiding behind whatever cover they could find. Getting D.E. attention he motioned at one of the lamps hanging from the ceiling in the middle of the room. He nodded and took out his D-Shooter. Taking careful aim he fired a single shot. A lamp crashed to the floor catching the leopard's attention. Dan and Rev pulled out their D-Rods as they came out of hiding., "SPD, Freeze!"

"You said there wasn't any units here!"

"Shut up Mort, Anaroids get them." The robots stopped their tasks and picked up a blade.

"You know what to do," Dan said before they charged. Rev pushed one into a robot that was still working, both fell into a vat of chemicals. D.E. slide between the legs of one Anaroid and fired into the chest of the one behind it. The first one spun around and kicked the D-Shooter out of his hand. It grabbed him by the neck and hauled him up. D.E. struggled for a bit before reaching for a wielder and jammed it into the Anaroids head. It sputtered for a bit before letting him go and fell to the floor in a heap. Dan blocked a blade that was coming at him and stabbed an Anaroid in the chest. One kicked him from behind knocking him to the ground. Five jumped on top of him at once. Rev rushed over and threw them off. He helped Dan to his feet and they stood side by side, "I owe you one."

"We are team mates," he said, "we are supposed to protect each other."

"All right you two," Ace's rang out. "Call off the Anaroids." She and Boomer had their D-Shooters out and pointed at the cage.

"Don't take you sweet time or nothing," Dan mumbled as he eyed a couple of Anaroids in front of him.

"One last time, call off the Anaroids. If you don't me and my partner will shot out the glass."

"Go ahead, the glass is bulletproof."

"Is it bomb proof too?", Boomer asked. He had some explosives in his hand. In moments the other one hit a button on the control panel and all the robots stopped moving.

"Mort!", the red one screamed.

"I don't know if it's bomb proof or not," he cried. The red one grabbed Mort by the collar and pulled him through a door behind him.

"Outside now!", Dan ordered. It took a few moments to find a door that lead to the outside. A delivery truck raced out of a garage and nearly ran them over. "Ace!'

"I got the Shepard on its way," she told him. After several long moments the Shepard came into view. They quickly boarded the jet and went after the truck. They were able to catch up in no time.

"D.E. fire a couple of rounds."

"Right," he pressed a button on his counsel. On the wings panel slide away revealing four machine gun type weapons. He fired a short round that bounced off a field that sprung up around the truck. "Ok I didn't see that coming."

"The laser might get through it," Ace offered.

"Captain," Rev said, "I'm getting a strange reading from the truck."

"What kind of reading?"

"Let me see it," D.E. called out. "I was afraid of that. They're carrying power cores on that truck.

"That counts out the laser," Ace said.

"I hope you got a plan B," Boomer told him.

Dan got out of his chair saying, "D.E. you're with me, we're doing a hot drop with the Hounds." He nodded and followed him into the cargo area. The each jumped into a hole that was on either side of the hold. "We're ready to drop."

"The Shepard's at hot drop height and speed," Ace called back. Dan and D.E. braced themselves as she said, "Hot dropping in three... two... one now!" The floor under them slid away and two modified black and white SV650S dropped to the ground below engines running. They gunned it until they caught up with the truck. Mort opened the passenger side door and leaned out firing away with a rifle. Dan switched his D-Colt over to mutishot and fired back. He wasn't aiming at Mort, but close enough that he had to go back inside.

"Go!," he shouted as he fired out a few more rounds. D.E. raced ahead and got in front of the truck. Dan made sure neither of the Leopards took a pot shot at him. He was just glad the red one wasn't swerving the truck, guessing he didn't want the cores to explode either. D.E. slowed down just enough to make sure the truck engine was in range. He pressed a button on the Hound's weapon panel and a metal spike shot out toward the grill. It bounced off the field. D.E. cursed as the truck speed up. He had to turn off the road to avoid getting run over. Dan stopped his Hound to check on him, "You all right?"

"Yeah," D.E. sounded disgusted, "the disruptor spike didn't get through the field. I don't suppose you have a plan C?"

"I'll make one up, come on." They both went after the truck. He honestly had no idea on how they were going to stop that truck.

"Cap!", D.E. shouted and pointed at something. The Shepard was flying low and fast and the nose cone was splitting open into four parts. "What are they doing?"

"Boomer now!", Ace yelled. Boomer was sitting at D.E.'s station and pulled a trigger. The four ends started glowing. A yellow energy beam came from each point and met in the middle. A stronger beam shot out of it and blew a chunk out of the road ahead of them. Boomer kept firing until a huge hole was left forcing the truck to stop.

"Get out and run Mort," his brother said. But as soon as they got out Dan and D.E. grabbed them and jumped the hole. They brought the bikes to a stop and threw the leopards forewords. "Damn it!"

"Now what do we do Brother?"

They got of the Hounds as Dan switched his License to Judge mode, "Target orders", he pressed the button on top and the white plate opened up. The area around the turned black as a red X and a blue circle started flashing. After the Leopards were scanned a red X shined brightly, "Eliminate targets." They unlatched their D-Shots from their pack and hooked their license into them., "Ready." They pulled back the grip, inside energy traveled through the D-Shot until it came to the Barrel. They leveled their weapons at the Leopards. "Strikeout!", Dan called out as they pulled the triggers. Two blue energy stream hit the Leopards-seijin, deleting them, "Got you."

***

They found the Shepard nearby, the others were waiting outside. All of them had already deactivated their Dekasuits. Dan jumped off his Hound, "Exactly who's crazy ass idea was that?!"

"It was her," Boomer pointed at Ace, "it was all her idea." Ace shot him a look that could kill. He hid behind Rev, "She threatened to tear my... thing off and stick it were the sun didn't shine."

Dan walked up to her, "Is that true?"

"Yes it is," she looked him right in the eye. "I saw the opening to stop that truck and made the call. If I was in this situation again I'd do it the same way." Dan crossed his arms and stared her down. She didn't back away from it.

Finally he said, "I always said my second in command needed to be a little crazy, congratulations. D.E. let's get the Hounds back on board."

Ace was stunned, "You're making me second in command?"

"What!," Boomer yelled. "Didn't you hear what she said to me?"

"Yes and that was pretty tame compared to some the threats I've come out with over the years."

"But D.E. and Rev outrank her."

"You two got a problem with that?", Dan asked them.

"My rank is honorary because of my status as a doctor," Rev said.

D.E. added, "Being in charge gives me a rash."

"Works for me," Dan said.

"You got a problem taking orders from a girl?", Ace asked Boomer.

"No," he answered a little too defensively. Dan was about to break it up when he caught something out of the corner of his eye. There was a distorted shape in front of the tree to his right. It like almost like an arm. Dan and Rev aimed their Sp-Shooters at the same tree.

"What is it?", Ace asked, her hand on her weapon.

"I heard something," Rev told her.

"That's good," Dan said, "because I'm pretty sure I saw something. Give me a scan." Rev took out his scanner.

"We are the only life forms in the immediate area," he answered after taking several scans.

Dan holstered his weapon, "We're probably still a little jumpy. Boomer contact OpsBase and have them send a crew out here to take care of the lab and this truck. Let's go home folks." They loaded the Hounds back onto the Shepard and Dan took one last look around before closing the ramp. He was sure he saw something. In minutes the Shepard was air borne and headed back to base.

By that tree the air shimmered revealing a chameleon-seijin wearing a cloak. His eyes narrowed as he watched the Shepard fly off in the distance. "Stevens," he growled before turning invisible again.


	5. Chapter 5

Special Police DekaOps

4

The ceiling above them closed as the hanger crew checked over the transport shuttle after it landed. A side door opened and Pierce walked out, returning from one of those monthly meetings the team commanders had to go to. Dan was glad it wasn't him, he hated those types of meetings. With his briefcase in his hand he returned a salute from a crewman and walked over to him. Dan gave him an army style salute for old time's sakes, "Welcome back Major."

"At ease Dan," Pierce said with a chuckle. "You still have all your hair and nobody looks like they're in a cast, so I'm assuming you did all right in charge of the place."

"Things went pretty smooth." Dan smirked, "Actually everyone seemed relieved to have you off their backs for a few hours. Can't say I blame them."

"You're lucky I like you," he snorted before laughing with him for a bit.

"So how did the meeting go? Boring a Hell I'd imagine."

"More or less. The team that was supposed to be based in Texas has been put in hold indefinitely. There was a rumor a couple of the others were going over of one starting up in Australia. Oh, and SPD as a whole avoided a rather large bullet."

"What do you mean?"

"There was this old woman over in England who came this close," he held his thumb and index finger on his cane hand about an inch apart, "to getting SPD kicked off the planet completely."

"Oh that," Dan shook his head sadly. "Michelle should me a news feed about that yesterday. Personally I'm glad she got shown up for what she was. Would that have affected us? I mean we are covert unit, only a handful of people know we're here."

"I'm not sure, thankfully we won't have to find out." Dan walked him to his office and chatted for a little bit. Pierce put the briefcase down on his desk. "I might add some of the commanders were surprised to find out who your second in command was."

Dan didn't look fazed, "Do you think I care? The team needed a command structure in case I'm taken out for some reason. Besides she was already calling the shots while we're airborne, so the choice seemed obvious."

"You don't have to explain your choice to me, I know how you work remember." Pierce sat down, glad to be in his own chair. "So how has Ace been handling it?"

"Pretty well," Dan sat in the chair on the other side of the desk. "She's been rubbing it in to Boomer every so often though." Pierce was sure she only doing it because of his reaction to her new status. "It was just some good natured ribbing, but I told her to ease up on it. Anything else I should know about, or not know about?" Dan was still a bit steamed about being kept in the dark about the dangerous side of the rifle, not that Pierce could blame him.

"Well our friends up in the DekaSpacebase might have something for us. They have to double check a couple of things first so nothing official as of yet. But in a few hours SPD Earth command might insert us into an unprotected area."

Dan rose from his seat, "Right, I'll put the team on stand by then." He saluted and left him alone in the room. Pierce cracked his neck and looked over the six messages on his desk, two of them were from his wife Helen. He told her he had some really early meetings and would be gone for most of the day, he just didn't add where those meetings were being held at. Lord, was he going to have to come up with a good one this time.

***

When he got to the gym he found Ace putting the others through the paces. As he watched them for a bit Dan wasn't sure if he should be amused or worried that she reminded him of a drill instructor he knew back in basic. "Come on ladies!" she shouted as the others were doing foot drills, "My grandmother can do better than this. D.E. get those knees up like you life depended on it!" Boomer looked like he was going to start a mutiny. Too bad for him she saw it, "You want to try something Boomer?"

"Listen up," he decided to cut it off there. "The Major says we're on standby. Shower up and get changed, we might have to leave at a moment notice." The nodded and started to walk off. "Ace hold up, I got to talk to you."

"Ooooh," D.E. said looking at Ace, "you're in trouble."

"Get out of here," she beaned him with her towel.

"About time she started picking on somebody else," Boomer said.

"She just likes you man," D.E. pushed his friend's head to the side lightly. Rev looked confused at the exchanged but followed the others.

"What's up Cap?", she asked.

"Interesting motivating skill you have there." She started to answer but he held up a finger. Then he shouted, catching her off guard, "Boomer, unless you want to run twenty laps around the gym buck naked in front of everybody I suggest you close the door and take that shower!" She looked behind him and saw the door shut quickly. "He's worse than a four year old I swear. Now where were we? Oh yeah, your motivating skills."

"I'm just trying to do things like you would," she told him. "You've done the same thing when you're running the drills."

"I know, that how I do things," he empathized the "I' when he said that. "I didn't make you my second so you could turn into mini-me."

"I was wondering, why did you make me second in command any way? Boomer was,and if you repeat this I'll deny it, right. I was talking to Major Pierce about it and he said that's the way you think and said nothing else." Dan sat on the bench behind him, she sat next to him. "If it's a big secret you don't have to tell me."

"No secrets, he's probably tired of taken the blame for the way I do things. Look, there are two things I've picked up from Pierce over the years. One, always have a plan B, no matter how good you think your original plan is. And two, your second should be a little different from you. Because when the commanders have the same opinion in everything the unit is in trouble."

"Because they're missing the same blind spots," he nodded. "So I should find my own command style. I should probably rein it in a little too."

"Now I didn't say that. You're enthusiastic, I like that in my seconds. Trust me I've had ones that were duller than dirt."

She smiled, "I'll take your word for it. I better take that shower too." She got up, then she groaned, "Damn it I threw my last clean towel at D.E." About the Michelle's voice came over the loud speakers.

"Field team to the hanger bay, repeat field team to the hanger bay. Prepare to launch in twenty minutes."

"I can air dry," she said as he ran off.

***

In no time they were aboard the Machine Shepard, headed for the east coast and out to sea. They were told they would be briefed on the mission in flight instead of the Command Room, but so far nothing. All of them were wondering what was so important this time around. Dan was tapping his fingers on top of his leg before Boomer finally spoke up, "Cap, we're getting a signal from OpsBase."

"Put it through." Michelle and Pierce appeared on the screen in a split view. "So what's the reason for the rush Major?"

"We got a big one this time Cap," Pierce said before his image was replaced with another one. This one featured a fat person in a white suit and hat. He would have reminded most of them of the stereotypical southern gentleman if it wasn't for the fact his head looked like a pig. "This is Sanders. According to SPD files he's one of the biggest slave traders in the known galaxies. According to orbital and ground sensors his ship is currently in Turkey."

"I'm getting the coordinates now, "Ace said.

"Michelle's sending us some info on the terrain," Boomer called out.

"I've heard stories of this person on my home planet," Rev spoke up. "I believe some call him the Colonel." Boomer snorted as he put the name together. Ace and D.E. started snickering as well. Dan lowered his head to hide the smile he was fighting. "What was humorous about what I said?"

"It might have been a little more obvious if...," Boomer started before D.E. interrupted him.

"Please don't finish that thought."

Dan shot a look back there to quiet them down, "Sorry Major," he said over the connection.

"Right, as I was going to say it's doubtful he's delivering anything out here."

"I've been able to find," Michelle cut in, "a couple of missing person report for the area he's in. But the numbers I've found doesn't indicate the number he usually handles. So I'm expanding the search parameters but I doubt I'll be able to get the info to you before you enter silent operations."

"Needless to say Earth command wants him stopped before he takes off. Also be on the lookout for this individual." Sanders image was replaced by a gray rocky type of alien. "This is Sander's bodyguard Grimm."

"He suspected to be involved in at least twenty known disappearances," Michelle told them. "This one is particularly nasty. A couple of the missing bodies that have been found were beaten to a bloody pulp and had their limbs broken."

"We're approaching international waters," Ace called out.

"Remember the Turkish government doesn't know you're coming," Pierce told them. "The government isn't SPD friendly at the moment, and what happen in England didn't help matters. If you're caught by the local authorities I don't know how much we can help you."

"Understood sir," Dan said," Shepard out. Boomer silent op countdown."

"Silent operation in," he watched the controls for a moment, "five... four... three... two... one and we are silent." he deactivated the comm. panel. "So we're officially on our own out here?"

"Part of the job Boomer," D.E. told him, "we don't contact OpsBase and vice a versa once we hit international waters. We all know that."

"Listen up guys," Dan said, "about what the Major said about getting caught. I have never left a team mate behind alive in my life and I don't plan on starting now. So I'm telling you guys now, we all go home or nobody goes home. No one gets left behind. Is that clear?"

"The Major said," D.E. told him, "that was your personal motto."

"No one gets left behind," Ace repeated looking serious. "Sounds like a plan to me." Rev nodded while Boomer gave him the heads up. After several quiet moments Ace started running some simulations on her flight computer. After a while she adjusted the Shepard's heading slightly. Dan tapped her on the shoulder and asked what was that for. "Shaving some time off our arrival time. The faster we get there..."

"The faster we get him," he finished for her. "And hopefully the faster we get out of there."

***

They discovered one thing about Sanders when they found him, he apparently thought he was untouchable. He didn't even try to hide his ship. In fact he and his bodyguard were standing right in the open like they didn't have a care in the world. Dan was glad he had Ace activate the cloaking system before they hit the mainland. Sanders stood there fanning himself with his hat as Grimm paced the area. "Would you relax," Sanders barked, "you're making me sweat. Do you know how much this suit cost me? I can't afford to sweat in it."

"I'm telling you I heard a jet," Grimm rumbled.

Dan and the others took cover behind some boulder and shrubs while he pulled out a listening device, a gun like device with a disk surrounding it, and pointed it at them. "All of our scanner say you're hearing things. Now would you relax."

"I'd be able to relax better if you didn't pick a planet that was swarming with SPD. I've never seen a planet with so many."

Sanders laughed as he took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead. "The greater the risk the greater the reward, ain't nobody tell you that? But I'll admit things were easier back in the day. When I was a young 'un just starting out in the business all we had to worry about was a single Space Sheriff per sector. Now a days you can't swing a dead Mynock without hitting an SPD. Too bad there's not a whole lot of us left who remember those days."

His bodyguard grunted, having heard this one before, "When did they say they were coming?"

"Half hour tops from that so called town in the west. They keep saying human are pretty adaptable. I've got plenty of clients willing to pay to find out."

Dan folded up his listening device and pocketed it. That bit of information gave him some hope, maybe they haven't gotten anybody yet. "Rev, any life signs on that ship?"," he asked in a hushed tone.

"None that I can detect Captain."

"Alright we might have caught a break here, let's not waste it. Ace, take D.E. and Rev and try to intercept that truck he mentioned. He said thirty minutes but that doesn't mean it won't get here sooner. Me and Boomer are going to try to take them."

"Right, she acknowledged. "Which direction?"

"He said from the west," Rev answered. Ace and the other looked at him in surprise.

"He's got good hearing," Dan told them. "Now stop wasting time and go."

"I'll ask later," Ace said as she waved D.E. and Rev to follow her.

"So when do we go in and bust them?", Boomer asked after they were gone.

"We'll wait five minutes and scope out the situation first. With just the two of us I want to make sure we're not in it too deep."

"This might be a stupid question, but why did you split us up then?"

"Because if we can't take these guys down then there is at least one group of people he won't get his hands on."

Boomer acted like he didn't think of that, "That's thinking pretty far ahead."

"That's why they pay me the leader money."

"Now I'm glad you made Ace second in command, I'm too pretty to get worry wrinkles thinking about stuff like that," he said with a grin. Dan still looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Cap I'm joking."

Sanders put the handkerchief back and caught a look at a small monitor inside his coat that was connected to the ship scanners. The automatic sweep picked up a couple of stray life signs that weren't there before. "Oh my, we apparently have some unexpected visitors Grimm. Why don't you give them a warm welcome."

"Of course," he walked toward the boulder grabbing a grenade. He threw it to the ground, ten Anaroids formed and came toward them.

"We've been made," Dan cursed as they pulled out their OpsLicnese, "Change standby."

"Emergency!", they held their License across their chest then thrust them foreword, "DekaOps!" The Dekametal formed around them in less than a moment and they charged the Anaroids and Grimm.

***

"I'm getting an abnormal reading from that vehicle over there," Rev pointed to an old truck coming down the road. Ace pulled out her binoculars and checked it out. There were two guys in the cab, the one in the passenger seat looked like he was holding a gun of some sort. D.E. wasn't sure but he said it looked like an assault rifle from here. Something told her she shouldn't jump the gun just yet.

"What kind of readings?"

"Human, several of them in the back of the vehicle if these readings are correct."

"I'm not seeing any other truck in the area," D.E. said after a quick sweep. "This has to be them." She thought so too, but this was her first job as the number two person in the unit. Making a huge blunder was not the way to start the job.

"They could be a military operation as well," Rev said, echoing the part of her thoughts. "And it hasn't been thirty minutes."

"They could be early. Well what would Cap do if he was here?", D.E. asked them.

"Cap isn't here," he did say she wasn't supposed to act like him. "There's only one way to find out. D.E. get to the other side of the road, Rev you stay on this side. Don't go in until I give the word."

"Rodger," Rev said.

"You got it," D.E. said before heading across the road.

She stood in the middle of the road. After a few moment the Ace could see the truck coming on the road. "Emergency!" she pulled out her License and thrust it forward, "DekaOps!" and pressed the button on top.

Ace was surrounded by a pink digital field as the Deka metal formed around her body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark pink stripe went down the middle of her body from her shoulders to the top of her boots, on the left side of her chest the pink and black formed the outline for a number five. A backpack solidified on her back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka metal flashed over her head and formed a dark pink helmet.

"What are you doing?!", D.E cried out as he pulled out his License. She put her hand up for him to stop. Ace took out her D-Shot and waited for it to get a little closer. The truck wasn't slowing down. "Damn that girl is nuts." She aimed her D-Shot and fired a round above the cab. The passenger flinched but the driver did nothing. She fired another shot, this time though the windshield between them. Ace changed her aim slightly, now the D-Shot was aimed right at the driver. Ace primed another shot and the driver moved this time as the brakes started squealing. The truck came to a stop a yard in front of her.

Ace let out the breath she was holding, glad the helmet hid how shocked she was that actually worked. "Now!", D.E. and Rev came out of hiding, their SP-Shooters aimed at the cabs occupants. She kept her aim on the driver, "You two out of the truck now! Out of the truck!" D.E. opened the passenger side door and took the weapon from them as they complied. "Get on the ground! Rev check out the back of the truck."

"Understood," he went back there and open the door. "They were transporting people in shackles." Behind the helmet she relaxed a little bit more. Looks like she didn't blow it. D.E was putting one in a set D-Whoppers so she took out hers and tossed them to him. "Lock up the driver quickly and help out Rev."

"Right," after a moment he went back there and whistled. "It looks like a poor man's UN back here. They have guys from just about everywhere from the looks of it."

"You're rescuing us?", one of them said, it was man who looked like he was in his fifties.

"You speak English?"

"I was born in Canada," he said. "I was visiting some family I have out here and then those men kidnapped me."

"Don't worry sir," D.E told him, "we'll make sure you'll get back to that family of yours in no time."

"Thank you," he said gratefully, "but who are you?"

D.E. and Rev looked at each other, "Ah... we're the good guys. You're gonna have to take my word on that one."

***

The Anaroids weren't much of a problem for Dan and Boomer. It took them longer than before but they were able to turn the robots into piles of scrap metal. They didn't get a moment of rest as Grimm ran in to grab Dan by the back of the neck and threw him. "Cap!" Boomer called out. Then he turned to see Grimm right behind him. The rock creature raised his hand and slammed it to the ground. Boomer just rolled out of the way and fired with his D-Shot. Its rocky hide protected it from the shot but it still growled in pain. Dan got to his feet and started firing away with his. Grimm turned around, grabbed an boulder and threw it at him.

"Shit!", he jumped out of the way.

"That's why I pay him the big money," Sanders crowed proudly. He saw a pair of headlight coming in their direction. "Looks like the Calvary has arrived," he said evilly. Grimm caught Dan in the ribs with a back swing and held Boomer by the throat over his head. Suddenly he was shot in the back several times making him drop the black and yellow clad human. Sanders and Grimm both turned to the truck. D.E. was on top of the cab firing away with his D-Shot. Ace stopped the truck and sheand Rev got out while D.E. jumped off. "What the devil," Sanders started backing up.

"Cap," Ace ran up to him, "tag!" She held out her hand and slapped his as she raced by. "Let's do it guys!"

Dan checked on Boomer, "You alright kid?"

"I'm still moving," he said while holding his throat.

"Good, cause boss hog is getting away." He grabbed Boomer by the arm and dragged him to his feet to chase after Sanders.

D.E and Rev both jumped up and kicked Grimm in the chest making him back up. Ace rolled forward between them and came up firing. She back flipped out of the way as the rock creature's hands smashed into the ground where she was. The boys rushed up and started firing at the alien themselves as she pulled out her D-Rod. Ace hit a button with her finger and jumped up. The rod had a pink glow to it as she screamed and slashed it down at Grimm, who was finally knocked off his feet. Ace put the D-Rod back into her pack and pulled out her OpsLicense. D.E. and Rev stood at her side as she switched modes and pressed the button on top of it, "Target order!"

The area went black as a red X and a blue circle flashed in front of Grimm. It took a minute for the device to scan him and the X shined brightly. "Eliminate target," Ace called out as she closed the License and hooked it into the D-Shot. The other two did the same as they went to a knee. Leveling their weapons at Grimm she said, "Ready." They pulled back the grip under the D-Shot's barrel, energy built up and traveled through the weapon and into the barrel. "Strikeout!", they pulled the triggers and three blue energy beams hit Grimm. He resisted for a moment but he was soon deleted. "Got you."

"Piggy faster than he looks," Boomer said as they ran after him.

"Let's give him a warning then." Dan and Boomer drew their side arms and both fired a shot over his head. Sanders stopped immediately and put both hands over his head. Dan walked in front of him and held up his License, "Target orders." The area went dark and after a minute the blue circle shined, "Apprehend target," and he reached for his belt and pulled out his D-Whopper.

"Looks like this little piggy going wee wee wee all the way to jail," Boomer said.

Dan groaned and lowered his head, "I should have teamed with D.E."

***

Ace had the Shepard land next to Sander's ship and he was now in the on board cell in the cargo hold. Dan was sitting on some crates outside the ship holding his side as she walked up to him, "Rev said you were hurt."

"Nothing broken, Rev said I'd be fine in a couple of days. Nice timing with the truck by the way."

"I figured it was my turn to come up with a plan B," she told him. Dan had to grin. "So what's going on now?"

"Well D.E. on that hill over there keeping a look out for any other trucks for the moment. And Boomer keeping an ear on the local police radio, to see if anyone is coming this way and we have to jet."

"I asked Rev to take Boomer and check out the ship," she informed Dan. "In case there were other already in there we couldn't detect from out here. Rev also said he was familiar with this design so I told him to help Boomer find the ship's computer after they were done with the search. Maybe they can get into the system and find out where they were going and where they been."

Dan nodded with approval, "Good call. I'm sure SPD command would love to get their hands on that info." Ace started to walk off when he said, "D.E. told me about that little stunt you pulled." She stopped and faced him, not sure what to expect. "That's not something I would do."

"You wouldn't, but I would," she told him truthfully. Dan smirked.

"I wish all my second got that through their heads that quick. But don't get yourself killed in the process all right. Pierce would never let me hear the end of it."

"Not to mention Boomer would be your only choice for the job, seeing how D.E. and Rev don't want it."

"Don't remind me," Dan said as he got up. "Come on let's give Rev and Boomer a hand with that search."

"Yes sir," she gave him an army style salute. Dan shook his head as he patted her on the shoulder and entered the ship.


	6. Chapter 6

Special Police DekaOps

5

He found the place he was looking for, a rundown hotel in a seedy part of the city. No one saw him as he walked up to the front desk and looked over the registration book. Flipping through a few pages he found the alias he was looking for. Now if the room number he was told was correct he should get this over with rather quickly. The clerk behind the desk looked away from the TV show he was watching when he thought he saw the book move but returned to his program, lousy humans. He walked the stairs and hallways quietly as he headed for his destination. Knocking twice on the door marked 5D he had to wait a moment before hearing, "Alpha."

"Centauras," he replied. The door opened and a gray reptilian alien walked out into the hallway seeing no one there. He returned to his room and closed the door and was surprised to see a being wearing a hooded cloak standing by his bed, "Hello Radon," the hooded creature said.

"Chatrox," the reptile hissed.

"Agent Chatrox to you," he removed the hood revealing a chameleon-sejin underneath.

"Agent," he grunted, "still the luckiest bastard in the universe I see."

The chameleon looked smug, "You weren't saying that when I conveniently forgot I saw you in Sigma Alpha four."

Radon's features darkened, "I'm surprised SPD didn't delete you on sight when they found out you were working for the bosses."

"I'd rather be deleted than be assigned to this planet with these," he spit out the word, "humans." Chatrox put the case he was carrying on top of the bed. "Here is what you asked for." He opened the case revealing a couple of alien pistols. "Two Zirikian hand guns. Able to turn most organics into atoms." Radon reached for the guns but Chatrox closed the case, "Payment first."

"Fine," he reached under the bed and pulled out a bag that he handed to the agent. Chatrox counted it quickly and stopped the reptile from taking the case.

"This is only half of what was agreed too."

"I had to pull in every favor I had to get this much," he pleaded.

"Sorry Radon, you don't have the full amount you don't get the weapons."

"Then one gun then," Radon was desperate at this point. "You said yourself it was half. That has to be worth one of them at least."

Chatrox thought it over and opened the case, taking out one of the pistols. "You're lucky I'm in a generous mood today. For old time sake I'll give you a week to raise the funds for the second one. If not I'll take the other one back from you." Chatrox didn't let him answer, he opened the door and disappeared from sight.

***

At the OpsBase Pierce and the other were watching Dan and D.E. go hand to hand, training with some fake knives. It was pretty much a stalemate until Dan knocked away D.E. knife hand and started slashing the air making him back up. D.E. spun out of the way suddenly and kicked Dan behind the legs. D.E. got him down to his knees, stood on the right side of him and put the "blade" to his throat, "Got ya Cap."

His lip curled slightly in a smile and he looked at him out of the corner of his eye, "You sure about that?"

"Cap if you do anything you're dead, I got you dead to rights."

"Then you better already have kids."

D.E. was confused by what he said. Then Ace whistled while Boomer cried, "Oh," and crossed his legs. He looked over to them wondering what they were seeing that he wasn't. Pierce pointed down so D.E. looked down and his eyes went wide. The point of Dan's knife was aimed right at his crotch.

Dan grin got a little bigger, "You might kill me but you'll remember me for the rest of your life. You want to call it a draw?" D.E. backed away and let him get to his feet. Dan clapped him on the shoulder, "Good going though, you gave me a pretty good fight."

"Now I know I didn't teach you that," Pierce said as he walked to them with the other following.

"Was that not a rather dirty tactic?", Rev asked.

"When it's life or death there's no such thing as a dirty trick," Dan told him. To D.E. he said, "You did good but you made a couple major mistakes that I saw. You thought the fight was over before it actually was. It ain't over until someone either tied up, knocked out or dead. And," he flipped his knife into the air and caught it by the blade, "you lost track of this. You have to remember at all times to keep track of an opponent's weapon. Trust me, I know it's real easy to lose track of it." Dan raised his shirt showing them a scar above the right side of his waist.

"And that's not an appendix scar either boys and girls," Pierce added.

"What did you do to get that?", Ace asked.

"I was on guard duty. Me and a couple of other were trying to subdue a guy with a knife. I learned the hard way don't lose track."

"Ouch."

"I said I little more than ouch when it happened." Dan rubbed the scar from the memory. "Alright guys, practice is over. Shower up and get something to eat."

***

"I am never going to get used to that," Boomer said in the cafeteria. He, D.E. and Ace were watching Rev eat a pile of raw meat on his tray. Boomer shuddered and tried to concentrate on his tray.

"Cap, over here," Ace called out and waved when she saw Dan carrying his tray. He hesitated as he looked at them.

"He's not going to sit with us," Boomer said, "he never does."

"I think he just proved you wrong buddy," D.E. told him. Dan sat at their table, between them and Rev. "Hey Cap, I didn't thank you for agreeing to the hand to hand lesson."

"You're my team mate, I'm supposed to help you guys get better."

Ace tilted her head to read the spine of the book on his tray. "Matthew Stover, isn't he a fantasy writer?"

"I took you for the Tom Clancy type," Boomer said.

"I don't care what it is as long as it's good."

"Sounds, like my Grand Dad," D.E. said. "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"Hey guys," Michelle came up and sat next to Dan. "Rev, do you have that spice from you home planet on that?"

"Yes, I find earth meat to be rather, and forgive me for saying this, bland."

"I'm pretty sure that's why they invented steak sauce Rev," Boomer said.

"Do you wish to try some?", Rev offered as he held out his tray. "It is perfectly alright for humans." Boomer declined right away.

"You should try it," Michelle told them, "it's actually pretty good." Dan, Ace and D.E. looked at each other then they all picked up a fork. Each of them picked out the smallest piece they could find and tried it. Boomer made a face watching them.

After a bit Dan said, "A little... bloodier than I like it, but it's not that bad." The other agreed and Rev looked pleased.

"Come on Boomer, you got to try some," D.E. told him.

He looked at Rev's tray and paled a little, "Maybe next time."

"Wuss," D.E. teased him.

"You're all here good," Pierce said as he joined them at the table. "We just got something in from one of our informants. There's an Alienizer robbing jewelry stores in the area."

"No offense Major," Boomer interrupted," but isn't a jewel robbery a little plain for us."

"We're still cops Boomer," D.E. told him.

"He's right, you guys are a covert unit but you're still officers of the law. Even when DekaRail gets going we're still going to have to take on one of these on occasion."

"Just tell me it's not a cat burglar," Dan said. "I mean a literal 'cat' burglar."

"Did Cap just attempt a joke," Ace said in mock disbelief.

He shot her a look, "Quiet."

"No cat, just a lizard. The informant said his name was Radon. He's a bit of a weapon nut according to reports. So much so he resorted to pulling jobs for the Alienizers to support his obsession."

"I'll do a search to see what he has exactly," Michelle said. "Chances are good he has used some of his collection in his robberies. I'd better see if there's a pattern as well."

"You might be right about him using his collection. Reports we were given had him using a," Pierce pulled out a small notebook and flipped though a few pages," a Zirikian pistol."

"Damn," D.E. blurted out.

"Do you think he knows something," Ace deadpanned.

"This things a nasty piece of work," he told them. "It's not exactly illegal but it's hard as hell to get your hands on one. People shot with this thing had to be identified by the left over ashes."

"And I just lost my appetite," Boomer slid his tray away from him.

"That weapon alone means he's one of ours," Dan said as he got up

"One more thing," Pierce said, "since you'll be in the city you'll be going out in civvies. I was able to keep information about you to a minimum back in Turkey because of the small number of people involved. A city this size is going to a lot harder, especially of you fight in public. So keep it to a minimum. You're only going to have you License and SP-Shooters with you so be careful with this one, because I don't think the vests are going to help much."

"You heard the Major," Dan said as that sunk in. "So which one of you really know this city?"

D.E. raised a hand, "My family's been living here for five years."

"Fine, you're driving."

***

They waited until nightfall to pile into a jeep and head out. Dan had a red shirt, black jeans and his bomber jacket on. D.E. was wearing a dark colored shirt and pants and a blue wind breaker on behind the wheel. Ace was in back with the others wearing a pink T-shirt under her jean jacket and blue jeans. Boomer was wearing some yellow L.A. Laker gear while Rev had his Green hoodie over his uniform. D.E. stopped the jeep in front of the last store reported robbed and they got out. All of them stared at the hole in the glass door. "This guy doesn't know the meaning of the word subtle," Boomer commented.

Dan switched his License over to Phone, "Michelle, anything on a pattern yet?"

"Only that his targets are pretty close together," she said. "If he strikes again it should be on that block or one close to you."

"Thanks Michelle. Let us know if you find anything else."

"Will do Cap."

He looked at the others, "I'd know what we do in the Army. But you guys are the cops, what would you do in this situation? Give me some options."

Ace started, "If it was me, I'd split us up into two groups and search the area . See if anybody saw or heard anything while we're looking for him."

"That's what my gut is telling me," D.E. added

"I would check the store for anybody residue he left might have left behind," Rev said. "If there is enough I might be able to track where he has been."

"I'd have a little easier time with that plan if we had the Shepard," Dan admitted. "Can you do it with a hand scanner?"

"He can if I help him," Boomer said.

"Sounds like we got a plan. Rev, you and Boomer scan that store. Me, Ace and D.E are going to scope out the surrounding area in the Jeep. Before I forget," Dan reached into the glove box and pulled out some wallets. He opened them up showing them the police badge and ID card inside. "Michelle had these made up, if anybody asks you're part of the Springfield PD." He handed one to each of them. "Do your best to explain Rev if it comes up. While you two are scanning that store remember that there's still a jewelry store on this block that hasn't been hit yet so keep an ear open. If you hear or see this guy call us and we'll come as fast as we can. And if he got the weapon we think he does don't try to take him unless you have to."

"I understand," Rev told him.

"We'll be careful," Boomer added. Dan and Ace jumped back into the jeep and drove off. "Time to do some actual police work Rev."

***

Radon walked over a bridge fingering the pistol under his tunic. One more hit, that had to be enough to buy the other one. Just one more hit was all he needed. Unless that bastard Chatrox decided to up the price of the other one. He wouldn't put it past that damn chameleon. Old time sake, right. Chatrox would sell out his own mother the moment he thought it would save his hide. Well nothing was going to keep him from getting the other pistol. And if Chatrox tried to take this one, then he'd be sorry.

He was interrupted in his thinking when a human walked into him. A drunk one at that. "Watch it you... you freak," he said. "Those Earth First guys are right. You are... you are trying to take over everything." He stumbled into a fighting stance. "Well... well I won't... won't let ya do it. Put up your dukes."

"How about I put up this instead," he pulled out the pistol and aimed it at the humans' head. He sobered up pretty quickly.

"Now wait a moment," he started sweating. "I didn't mean anything. I... I was only playing around." The human started running away, Radon shot him in the back. There was a scream for a brief moment before the human turned to ashes.

A jeep passed by that instant and stopped. A blond haired human stood in the passenger seat and shouted, "Radon!" The human jumped out of the vehicle and pulled out SP-Shooters.

"Deka," Radon said as he fired. The jumped behind any cover they could find before they returned fire.

Dan pulled out his License and called the others, "Rev, Boomer we located Radon. We need you at these coordinates now."

"We'll be there as fast as we can Cap," Boomer said.

"Cap, he's running!", D.E. called out

"We don't have a choice, change stand by." They ran after with their License out. "Emergency! DekaOps!" The Dekesuits appeared in a digital flash of light. "Stop or we'll fire." Radon kept running and Dan ordered, "Fire a warning shot." He pulled out his D-Colt and the other their D-Shooters and fired over his head. Radon stopped, turned and fired wildly at them. They had to jump out of the way. He reached under his tunic and pulled out a grenade. Eight Anaroids and two blue headed Batsuroids formed. "I'm seriously starting to hate those things."

"Fire," one of the Batsuroids ordered. They jumped to the ground to avoid the shot. Radon started running again.

"Come on!" Dan got up and started firing with his D-Colt. An Anaroid went down and D.E. and Ace started firing theirs. The Batsuroids avoided the shots and fired back. Dan and Ace got hit with the shots and went down. D.E. jumped up and started firing at the group. Ace got to a knee and started firing away with her D-Shot. Dan switched to multishot and started firing too. Radon jumped off the bridge onto the street below.

"I'm after Radon, D.E. shouted.

"D.E. don't," Dan ordered but he already jumped off after him. Where was a rank fearing private when you needed one?

Ace charged the group, knocked down an Anaroid and rolled under a shot one of the Batsuroids fired. She came up with her D-Shot aimed at its chest and fired. She turned to find the other one right there and got hit and dropped her weapon. Dan planted his D-Knife into the chest of one Anaroid and tried to reach her. Two Anaroids got in his path, one was able knocked the D-Colt out of his hands. Ace was thrown into the bridge railing and barely avoided the Batsuroids kick. She was able to pull out her D-Knife and stab it in the shoulder of its weapon arm. She didn't think it was possible but the robot looked like it was getting angry.

Dan took out his D-Rod and blocked a swipe at his head. He started swinging and was able to back them off. He pressed a button on the handle and the rod started glowing red. Dan slashed through two of the Anaroids and they dropped. A couple of more took their place and he saw Ace's D-Shot right behind them. This was going to be tricky. He reached into his backpack and waited a moment. One of the Anaroids took a swing that he blocked and shot the other one with his holdout D-Shooter, one shot. The other one tried to react but he shot it as well, two shots two left. He fired the last two at the Batsuroid, grabbed the D-Shot and tossed it over the robot had, "Ace catch!"

She caught it, pumped it and fired. The Batsuroid stood there so she fired again, this time it went down. Rev and Boomer ran up just then and took out the remaining Anaroids. "Could you cut it a little closer next time?!", she yelled at them.

"You were the ones with the jeep!", Boomer yelled back.

Dan knelt beside Ace, "You all right?"

"I'm great," she said sarcastically.

"Where is Terry?", Rev asked looking around.

"After Radon, anybody see a exit ramp leading to that street?"

"I'm pretty sure we passed one on the way here," Boomer said handing the D-Colt back to Dan.

"Lead the way."

***

D.E. chased after Radon and finally caught him. He tackled him to the ground by the legs. Radon was able to get a foot free and kicked him away. They both got to their feet and started fighting. D.E. was a little stronger but Radon was faster. D.E. spun away from a punch and pulled his D-Shooter. They both turned around and was staring into the barrel of the others gun, standoff. "Do you have any honor human?", Radon asked out of the blue.

"What do you mean?"

"I believe there is an old custom on this planet called a duel. Back to back then walk ten paces, I believe that how you humans do it."

"Give me one good reason why I should do that," he demanded.

"Because if you don't I'll shoot you now."

"That's a pretty good reason." Slowly they lowered their weapons to their side and stood back to back. Walking ten paces D.E. turned around and found himself staring down the barrel of the Zirikian pistol. "What happened to the duel?"

"I changed my mind and I already shot one of you humans in the back already. Do you have anything to say before I send you to the afterlife?"

D.E. nodded, "It's not over until somebody's captured or dead." he dropped back and fired hitting Radon in the leg. D.E whipped his leg up and kicked the pistol out of his hands. "And you forgot about my gun. A buddy of mine says that a big no no." He got to his feet, knocked Radon back and switched his License over to Judge, "Target orders," holding it out in front of him he pressed the button.

The area went dark and a red X and a blue circle started flashing in front of Radon. After he was scanned the X shined brightly, "Eliminate target." He closed his License and unlatched his D-Shot. D.E. connected the two and aimed it at the reptile. Pulling back the grip caused energy to flow through the weapon and entered the barrel. "Strikeout!" he shouted and pulled the trigger. A blue energy beam shot out and hit the alien, Radon was deleted. "Got ya."

Dan and the other found him a moment later and they deactivated the Dekametal. "Where's Radon?", Dan asked.

D.E. waved his License in front of him, "Scanned and deleted."

"Good. And for future reference, when I tell you to stop you stop, got it?"

"I hear you Cap." D.E started grinning, "But to be fair you yelled out 'don't' not 'stop'."

"Don't get smart," Ace said as she was going to smack him but Dan stopped her.

"Ace, I'm only going to tell you this once. You can yell at them, you can push them to their limits, you can even send them to their death. But for some reason you can't hit them." D.E. relax until he saw Dan look at him with a wicked looking grin on his face. "You can, however, get creative on how you want to get your point across. Think I'll leave that one up to you."

"Anything goes?", she asked.

"Almost anything," he clarified," and I have to approve it first."

Ace thought for a second, "Can I have him detail the Shepard?"

"That's a bit much, don't you think?"

"Whew," D.E. blew out.

After a moment Dan said, "Make it the Hounds, both of them."

"With a toothbrush?", Ace offered.

"I'll allow it," Dan said before walking off.

Ace clenched her hands in front of her chest, "Yes."

"Glad I'm not you buddy," Boomer said while slapping him on the back.

"You better start praying I don't swipe your toothbrush behind you back," D.E. told him

"I am never going to understand these humans," Rev muttered.

***

Nearby Chatrox saw the entire thing and his cold blood boiled. That was Stevens he saw the other night. Being assigned to this back water planet might not be so bad if he could eliminate that human while he was here. Looking down he saw a leaflet for Earth First and grinned. This was going to take some planning, and some pride swallowing, but it will do nicely. There was no better way to take out an enemy than to make sure he was distracted by something else first.


	7. Chapter 7

Special Police DekaOps

6

An abandoned building in the middle of the city was something most people never paid attention to. That particular building suited his needs just fine. Agent Chatrox knew he needed a place to base his operations. And the skills those SPD fools on Nagaus 7 taught him came in handy to fix the interior to his needs. He waited patiently as his communicator finally came to life, "Has the package arrived?"

"Yes Agent Chatrox," the voice on the other end replied. "But there is a fear that the SPD space station orbiting the planet may have detected it."

"We'll worry about it later," he snapped, his green skin shimmered slightly. "Are you able to get the package before SPD does?"

"No, there was a problem that arose with the guidance system as it entered the atmosphere. The package missed the target zone by a hundred parsecs."

"Where did it land?", he hissed. None of the other Agents could have had this much trouble with their deliveries.

"Projection from the scanners say it landed in the country of Mexico."

"Mexico," he wondered out loud, "is there a Deka unit currently in Mexico?"

"None that I'm currently aware of. The country is neutral as far as SPD command is concerned. DekaRail is the closest unit currently active. Is there a chance they might send them?"

Chatrox thought it over, "Perhaps, but it's more than likely that they'll send the other Deka unit in the country to retrieve it."

"Agent Chatrox, there is no active SPD unit in North America other than DekaRail."

He smirked, "Don't be so sure of that. Time is of the essence, the package must be retrieved before any Deka unit gets there, is that understood. If you have to use what I taught you to complete your task." And if SPD does arrive use any means you feel is necessary to eliminate them."

"Yes Agent Chatrox." He turned off his communicator and hissed in anger. Chatrox looked at the crumpled up Earth First pamphlet in his hand. If his plan was to succeed he needed that device.

***

Rev studied the controller Robert placed in his hands. His human friend had convinced him to try this thing called Dynasty Warriors. Robert assured him that the "game" would be easy to pick up. Behind them Terry was applying a finish to an old Earth weapon that he said belonged to his Grandfather. Trish came into the rec room going over a report in her hand before sitting in on one of the chairs in the room. Rev didn't want to question Captain Steven's decision to make the youngest member of the team status as second in command, it was highly unorthodox. But the young woman has so far proven worthy of the role. Whatever the Captain saw in her was right on the mark.

Terry looked up at her, "I thought we agreed, no work in the rec room."

"Yeah Ace," Robert said not taking his eye off the way Rev was playing, "I'd figured the number two person on the team wouldn't break that rule."

"It's not work," she said, "it's a performance review of the Shepard laser. I don't want it going out when we need it."

"Sounds like work to me," Boomer said. Trish ignored him and put the report between them. "So where's Cap? Working on his 'form' again?"

"I saw him talking to Michelle in the Command Room," Ace replied.

"Hmm," Terry uttered as he put his rag on the table, "they seem to talk a lot, don't they?"

"You noticed that too," Boomer took his gaze off the screen just long enough to look back at him. This was another trait these humans had that he was trying to understand, he believed Michelle called it idle gossip. "Rev watch out for the group of guys on your left. Does anybody else think there's something there might be something there?"

"Why is it engaged couples always try to get other people hooked up?", Trish asked.

"Not all of them," Terry said, "but you got to admit outside of the Major he seems pretty close to Michelle." Rev remembered a conversation he had with the Captain about making the hard call. He felt that might have something to do with it seeing how Michelle did not go out into the field with the rest of them. Of course that was a private conversation between the two of them. He did not want to break the Captain's trust.

Trish finally put down her report, "Wait, me and Michelle talk all the time. I think she would have mentioned something like that."

"It's in the early stages," Robert spoke up, "they're still feeling each other out. That's what happened between me and Lisa."

"Was that before or after you blackmailed her into marrying you," Terry joked.

Robert actually looked upset, which surprised all of them, "Never make a joke about that, got it?"

"Sorry buddy I didn't realize I was crossing a line."

"It's cool dude," Robert said after a moment. "Lisa the best thing that ever happened to me. It's bad enough her family thinks I tricked her into marrying me I don't need to hear it from my friends too." Terry nodded and all was apparently forgiven just like that. Rev was amazed at how fast ad feeling between the two of them could disappear. To his knowledge the two of them have never met before joining DekaOps. But they acted like birth mates at times at how they reacted around each other and how fast they forgive each other. It was truly the deepest form of friendship he has ever seen on any planet.

"Guys listen...," the Captain started as he came in but stopped as he looked in his direction. "Rev, you play video games?"

"I apparently do now," was all he said while he tried to understand the appeal of this past time.

"I'm amazed I'm surprised by anything after joining this unit," he muttered before getting back to business. "We just got a job from command."

"Cap," Terry whined, "no work in the rec room."

"We all agreed," Trish added.

The Captain wasn't fazed, "As field leader I have the authority to over ride that agreement any time I deem it necessary."

"Since when?", Boomer demanded.

"Since now," the Captain said. His voice and expression told them he wasn't going to accept any kind of argument on the matter. Captain Stevens was an interesting being. Despite his admitted reluctance to assume the position he had totally embraced the role as leader almost from the start. Rev also noticed that despite his wish to remain emotionally distant from the rest of them, to use an earth expression, the walls were not holding. He thought that was it at any point. "Besides it's a pretty simple job, we got a retrieval mission in Mexico."

"We're sneaking into Mexico?", Boomer asked.

"Actually SPD was invited by the Mexican government," the Captain informed them. "The SpaceBase spotted a ship landing a mile outside Puerto Penasce in Sonara, Mexico and so did the locals. As far as the government is concerned if it feel out of the sky it's SPD jurisdiction.

"But us?," Trish asked.

"I Know, but the only units available were us, DekaRanger Patrol and DekaRail. The Patrol is a little busy at the moment and they're not sure if the cadets are ready for something international yet. So far there hasn't been any Alienizer activity in the yet and they want this kept as quiet as possible. That means it goes to us, and the Major specifically said he doesn't want a repeat of what happened with Radon."

"Well if we're being invited in wouldn't the local authorities help us cover our track," Terry inquired.

"It's not that," he started to explain. "Pierce was able to use his connections to get a media blackout on what happened with Radon. But people still talked and there were reporters willing to listen, especially those who are anti-SPD. Some news program ran with the story any way, including this one tabloid show called Inside Extra that really latched itself onto the story. So it goes without saying that we don't need to gives these guys any more ammo."

They all nodded. Trish looked like she was concentrating on something, "Since we're being invited in silent op doesn't apply right?"

"Somebody has been studying," Captain Steven said with approval.

"Teacher's pet," Robert said with a smile. Then he saw the look Trish was giving him. "Whoa, you can't hit me. Cap said you couldn't."

Trish raised an a single eyebrow as she calmly said, "D.E." Terry picked up an orange that was in a bowl on the table and threw it at Robert.

"Ow!," he cried as he rubbed his arm, "traitor." Terry just shrugged his shoulders.

Steven put a hand up to his face, "I definitely wouldn't have done that. Any way it's a pretty easy mission, we should be back in time for dinner. But the simple ones can surprise you so I want everybody in full gear just in case."

Trish got out of the chair, "You heard the man people, let's move out." Rev was ready to comply, however for some strange reason he had a hard time letting go if the controller.

***

They arrived at the co-ordinates they were given by the Mexican government in no time, but they did not land right away. There was the ship just like they expected. The guy standing by the car, on the other hand, was unexpected. Should have told Ace to activate the cloak before they got there. "What do we do now Cap?", D.E. asked

"We'll circle the area for a bit, if he doesn't leave soon we'll land a click away and wait."

"Cap," Boomer said while listening to his earpiece, "We're getting a hailing call on all radio frequencies."

Dan raised an eyebrow and went over to the communication board, "Let me hear it."

"Hello?", said a voice with a Hispanic accent, "You are DekaRanger correct?"

"Ah...," he looked at the rest of them, "yeah, Special Police DekaRanger at your service."

"Excellent," the voice sounded happy. "We weren't expecting you this quickly. Why did you not answer my previous hails?"

"Sorry about that, we weren't expecting a welcoming committee. Pardon me, but who am I talking to again?"

"I apologize, my name is Artega, I am a local city councilman. I wanted to make sure the situation is contained. No need to panic the locals yes?"

"We'll do our best to make sure it doesn't get out of hand. You might want to vacate the area yourself. I'm sure it's nothing but I don't want to worry about a civilian getting hurt in case things go bad."

"Of course I understand, please contact us after your mission has ended."

"Not a problem, ah... DekaRed out." Dan ran two fingers across his neck telling Boomer to end the transmission.

"Smooth one 'DekaRed'," Ace joked as he sat back down. He watched as the figure got into his car and drove off.

"It got him out of here didn't it?"

"I'm not sure it was wise to lie to a government official like that," Rev commented.

"It was half a lie Rev," Dan told him.

"But he was looking for DekaRanger."

"And we are the DekaRanger covert operation team. Like I said it was half a lie."

"I still don't think it was right," Rev returned his attention to his board.

"Objection noted Rev," Dan said, "I'll put it my mission report. What do we got on the scanners."

"No life signs are being detected in the immediate area," Rev reported.

D.E added, "I'm not detecting any active weapon signatures or anything from the ship power source."

"I got nada on any kind of signal from the ship. I'm not even getting an ID code," Boomer piped in

"It didn't crash land from the looks of things," Ace said. "Something had to be piloting it."

"Take her down Ace, "Dan told her. In moments they surrounded the vehicle and after opening it determined whatever, or whomever, was inside was long gone."I knew I was going to regret saying this was going to be simple."

"Captain I found a set of footprints," Rev called out.

"Can you tell what they belonged too?"

"No," he said as he ran his scan. "I am detecting trace amounts of metal, non that come from this planet."

"Bots, great." Dan squatted down and studied the tracks. There were two sets of track that he could see. One set coming from the ship and another set going to the ship. His gut was telling him one thing, "They were retrieving whatever was on that ship. Fan out and search the area, they had to come here in something." All of them went a few yards from the ship before Rev and D.E. both called out that they found tire tracks. There was a big empty spot with the tracks going in different directions, the footprints also headed into the blank area.

"Well that's helpful," Boomer commented.

"It looks like whoever did this tried to wipe out the tracks from here to there," She pointed at the distance between D.E. and Rev. "I don't get it, why go to that much trouble to clearing just that area?"

"Remind me to ask once we find them," Dan told her. "But these guys are good, I'll give them that."

"I think we should send two of the guys to follow the tracks in each direction," she said. "We're bound to find something. And we can back up who ever finds the vehicle first in the Shepard."

Dan let out small chuckle as he told her, "You'll be doing my job before I know it. D.E., Rev take the Hounds and follow the track. Call us when you find anything. Boomer use your D-Hack on the ship computer if you can find it, maybe it can tell us what we're dealing with."

***

Rev followed the track in the dirt road as he rode the Machine Hound. He found himself checking out the local scenery as well. This planet could be most beautiful when left alone. That alone increased his desire to prevent the Alienizers from having their way with it. Of course the humans had to learn not to ruin the planet on their own. But it was not his place to tell them that. Hopefully they will learn that before it was too late. He noticed the trail he was following went around a curve ahead. He slowed his speed to make sure he didn't run into any surprises.

A car was stopped on the side of the road, the trunk was sitting close to the ground. His SPD training told him something rather heavy was weighing it down. He got off the Hound as he looked at the ground, the track lead to the car. He found his target. He was about to call for the others when a voice said, "What is a Zalmanian doing here?" He turned to see a blue headed Batsuroid standing behind him.

He quickly pulled out his License, "Emergency! DekaOps!"

Rev was surrounded by a green digital field as the DekaMetal formed around him in a flash of light. It turned into a black body suit in a burst. A dark green stripe went down the center of his body, from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the green and black formed the outline for the number three. A backpack solidified in his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka Metal flashed over his head and formed a dark green helmet.

He let his SPD training take over as the Batsuroid started firing at him. Rev had little to no cover as so he had to fire back in the open for now. Batsuroids were more intelligent than Anaroids, therefore more dangerous. Fortunately it looked like this one wasn't carrying any grenades, so that was one thing he didn't have to worry about. Rev ran as he returned fire, he noticed the robot was trying to keep him away from the car. If he survived this he would find out if he was right about it being his target or not. He made it to a rock that as large enough to give him some cover and took a moment to catch his breath. The problem with fighting a machine was that the machine did not get tired. Perhaps he could buy himself some time as the human say, "What was in the space craft?"

"None of your concern," the Batsuroid answered. He could hear it get closer.

Rev looked at the D-Shooter in his hand and holstered it. He centered his spirit and calmed himself. His cast may have trained him to be Shalimon but that did not mean he was defenseless. Eons of experience had taught them that even one that did the Great Spirit's work was not safe from those who would do harm to others. When it was close enough he jumped over the rock and planted both his feet into its chest. It crashed on the ground as Rev pulled out his D-Knife and stabbed at its head. The blue headed robot rolled out of the way as the blade pierced the ground.

He blocked a swing at his head then threw the robot to the ground. Rev took out his D-Rod as it got to its feet. The rod glowed green as he pressed a button on it and slashed the Batsuroid diagonally. The robot sparked slightly before falling to the ground. He put the D-Rod back as he said, "I believe my team mates would say 'got you'." Like on earlier mission he said a small prayer to the Great Spirit asking for forgiveness for taking a life. The Batsuroid may have been mechanical life but it was still a life in his eyes. Rev deactivated the Dekasuit as he switched his license over to phone. "Captain Stevens come in."

"Tell me you got something Rev," he said over the link. "D.E. reported back bit ago and came up with nothing."

"I believe I located the target vehicle. I would have reported it earlier but I was confronted by a Batsuroid."

"Why didn't you call for back up?"

"I was a little busy at the time but the danger has passed."

"Ok Rev, you did the right thing. Check out the target for confirmation."

"It appears to be in a locked trunk of a car," he informed the Captain.

"Bust it open," the Captain told him without hesitation. "If it's the wrong target I'll take any heat for it."

"Are you sure Captain?" Stevens said he was. He did not want his friend to get into trouble for something he had did, but he would not disobey an order. Rev aimed his SP-Shooter at the lock and fired. Inside the trunk was not what he was expecting. "Rocks?", he said out loud.

"Rev can you repeat that, I don't think I heard you right."

"The trunk is full of rocks to weigh it down. The tracks I was following lead to this vehicle."

Steven let out a small curse. "Rev had back to the Shepard," the Captain told him, "I'm not liking this."

He nodded, "At once Captain."

***

Dan sat in his chair on board the Shepard as they went over the facts they knew. Things were not adding up for the bigger picture, which meant they were missing some pieces. But what in the hell were they? "Alright we know that there was something in the ship and it was taken away, but both trails we followed lead nowhere."

"Maybe it was air lifted away," Ace offered. "That would explain why a section of the trail is missing."

"And the car was used as a decoy," Boomer added.

"But according to Michelle no aircraft was seen entering or leaving the area," D.E. countered.

"Which means we're back at the beginning."

Rev thought it over, "We might be overlooking a factor we already knew about."

"What?", Ace asked him.

"Councilman Artega," he answered. Dan slapped his hand against his forehead. "Of course it might be a long shot."

"Remind me to tell you the old joke about how to tell if a politician is lying. Boomer..."

"I'm already opening the link to base Cap."

"How do you tell if a politician is lying?", Rev asked D.E.

"Their lips are moving," he replied. "Joke works with lawyers too."

"I... don't get it."

"Stevens to OpsBbase," Dan called out after Boomer gave to ok.

"Base here, "the Major answered, "what is it?"

"What ever was in that ship was long gone by the time we got here but we might have lead. We're going to need to run a check on a Councilman from the area, last name was Artega."

"I'm checking now," Michelle said. After a few moments she looked puzzled, "That's strange."

"And those two words have never been followed by anything good," Dan said.

"According to this Artega was found dead in his home six hours ago. And his car was found abandoned about twenty minutes ago in a parking garage."

"Find a scan of that car and send it to Michelle," Dan ordered. A few moments later an image was found and sent back to base.

"That fits his car description," She confirmed.

"So who was impersonating him?" the Major asked, echoing their thoughts.

Ace thought of something, "Didn't Rev say he didn't get any life signs in the area?"

Rev checked his scanner logs from the time period, "There were no humanoid life signs in the area when we arrived."

Dan leaned back into his chair, "Ladies and gentlemen, we just officially been had."

***

Chatrox watched as an old truck pulled up to the building. An orange spike headed Igaroid jumped out and pulled the tarp off the cargo he was traveling with. "Well done," he said. "Was there any problems?"

"An SPD unit showed up but they fell for the ruse just like you said they would."

"Excellent, take it inside."

"At once," the Igadroid got back in the truck and did as ordered. Chatrox wrapped his cloak around him. The last time he was connected to a genetic resequencer he gained his ability to turn invisible. And the pain was worth it. Now he had to go through that pain again if he wanted the ability to look human when he needed to.


	8. Chapter 8

Special Police DekaOps

7

Dan faced the wall of the gym with a look of determination of his face as he started boxing his shadow. Before he arrived the Major told everybody to stay out of his way when he started doing this. A point he nailed home when he bit the head off of somebody wanting his signature on a report a couple of days ago. Now they gave him as wide berth that was possible, even his own team mates. He might have found the guy and apologized if most of free time his mind was occupied by one thing, Mexico.

"Penny for your thought?", somebody said. He turned his head sharply ready to chew somebody else out. His expression soften a bit when he saw it was Michelle.

He returned his attention to his shadow, "You'd be overcharged."

"I'll be the judge of that. Look Cap... Dan, I know you're upset about what happened in Mexico..."

"Why," he cut her off, "would I be upset by the fact we were tricked like a bunch of rookies?" He stopped boxing and grabbed a towel. Michelle offered him a bottle of water that he thanked her for. "But that's not what's bothering me," he finally admitted.

"So what's really bothering you then?"

Dan sighed before answering, "My family is career military, for as long as I can remember it's been drilled into my head that the enemy could be anybody. Five missions with this unit and I'm already expecting the enemy to not look human."

"Well to be fair, the target your sent after aren't exactly human."

"I still should have checked out Artega, or whatever the hell it was before it left."

"Hindsight is twenty-twenty," Michelle told him. She looked at him for a bit. "You know, from the stories the Major told me about you, not once did you seem like the self pity type."

He turned away, "Yeah, well the Major doesn't know everything about me."

"Well that's going to be a bit of a surprise to the Major," she said walking around so she could look him in the face. "According to him he is the foremost expert on all thing Daniel Stevens," she had a straight face but her eyes were smiling. He smiled despite his mood.

"I'll burst his bubble some other time." Dan sat on a bench and she joined him. "I guess I need to get my mind off the whole mess huh?" She agreed. "So how are things on news info front?"

"Things have quieted down a bit after Rescue saved their area and the actual DekaRed," she elbowed him lightly in the side, "was cleared. Inside Extra on the other hand.....," she trailed off.

"Still trying to figure out who we are right?"

She nodded, "This one 'reporter' they have, John McGee, seem obsessed with it."

"How obsessed?"

"He's camped out in down."

"Good thing it's a big city." Dan finished the last of the water, "Well, if you will excuse me there's a speed bag over there with my name on it."

"Do you want a sparring partner? Or would you rather do some private one on one?", she asked with a wicked little grin.

"Are you ever going to stop that?"

"Are you ever going to take me up on it?", she shot back as she got up and left. Dan watched her leave wondering how cold the showers around here got.

***

Ace was enjoying her time away from OpsBase. Of course if the Major knew she was on the lookout for parts for the Hounds he might have thought twice about letting her out. And she already had an eye on a couple of special parts as it was. There were about five things on a mental list she was making for Michelle to check out. She knew they would work no problem, but like her Dad said it never hurt to double check. Now she just had to figure out a way to sneak the proper forms onto the Major's desk.

A familiar looking red head in a yellow T-shirt caught her attention. She recognized the blond haired woman with him as his fiancé. He showed everybody her picture enough when he first arrived at base that she should know what she looked like. She was going to go in the other direction to give them some "couple" time when Boomer spotted her, "Hey Ace!"

"Hey," she waved weakly as they came up to her. She had SPD special training and yet she couldn't think of a way to get out of there.

"What are you doing out here Ace?", Boomer asked.

"Just getting a little air."

"Same here. Oh crap, I nearly forgot. Lisa," he turned to his fiancé, "I like you to meet Trish Fieldman."

"It's nice to finally meet you Ace," Lisa said. Ace was a little taken aback then she remembered that Boomer called her by her nickname.

"Same here, Bobby talk about you a lot."

"I'd bet he does," she said, lightly punching him on the arm. "He tells me you the pilot."

"Ah... yeah," Ace tried to keep the confusion off her face.

"And second in command too. I got to tell you that's so cool."

"Huh?", she shot a look at Boomer. He did not tell her everything about them.

He noticed and started to sweat a little, "Ah yeah, were did you want to go eat again honey?"

"That can wait," she told him, "how often am I going to get a chance to meet one of your Ops team mates?"

"Ops?!", she threw her left arm around his neck and started squeezing. "What part of covert operations do you not understand?"

"Gak!" he choked out. "Cap said you couldn't touch me!"

"He said I couldn't hit you, he didn't say anything about putting you in a headlock."

"The Major knows I know," Lisa said suddenly.

"Nice try lady," Ace told her. "His wife doesn't even know he's involved."

"No really, Bobby made me promise not to tell anybody."

"Even D.E. family knows what he does," Boomer got out. "You can check with him."

"You better believe I'm going to check this story out." Her License went off, without letting go of his neck she pulled it out and switched it to phone, "Ace here."

"Ace," Cap voice said, "we got a case so you better get back here ASAP."

"Right, Ace out." She let go so Boomer could answer his License.

"Ace look," Lisa started, "I haven't told anybody, not even my own family. I would never betray Bobby's trust like that. My God, I can only imagine how fast my family would be calling that Inside Extra crap if they knew."

"Ok, I'll take you word for it," Ace said after a moment. "But if there's a leak anywhere you are top of the list."

"Would you relax Ace," Boomer said, "I don't think Cap would get that paranoid." He turned back to Lisa and got a really dopey look on his face, "I'll be back as soon as I can sweetie."

"I'll be waiting," she said. "Now you be careful, I don't want my little Boom-Boom to get hurt." Ace turned around so they wouldn't see her stick her finger down her throat.

***

"All right troops, listen up," The Major ordered. Ace and Boomer returned to base and got changed in near record time. Boomer kept glancing at Ace for some reason, but there be time later to figure out why. "Word has it a new type of weapon is being pushed on the streets."

"Another version of the rifle?", Dan asked.

"No this one a little closer to home." A picture of a blue frog type alien appeared on the screen. "This is Professor Gremlin. According to reports he discovered a way to mimic SPD technology, specifically the D-Magnums."

"Now that's hitting below the belt," D.E. said.

"I don't have to tell you but the last thing SPD needs is copy cat tech out there in the galaxy."

Michelle spoke up, "It's important you keep his computer intact. We need to know exactly what he was able to duplicate. And more importantly if he sold any of it yet and how many."

Rev said, "If he was able to make a duplicate of the Dekametal the Alienizers would be much harder to stop."

"That goes without saying," the Major replied. We already know what happened on this planet when they got a hold of SPD tech. Put that on a galactic scale and I don't even want to think about it."

"Are the other Deka units up to speed with this?", Ace asked.

"Yes, and they're already keeping an eye out for any sign of the copy cat tech."

"I'd say it's a safe bet that every Agent on the planet sent some bots to protect him," Dan said.

"We don't have any official confirmation of that," The Major said. "But I wouldn't bet against you."

Michelle changed the image on the screen to a small island off of Hawaii," Intelligence points to here as his location, his most likely location any way."

"Most likely?", Dan said in disbelief.

"Reports about Gremlin are sketchy at best. Everything says he's avoiding any area with A Deka unit covering it."

"But Hawaii is part of the US," Boomer said. "Everybody knows DekaRail covers this area."

"True," the Major answered, "but there had been scattered reports of a human sized blue frog being sighted. I don't like going on rumor but right now it's the only lead we got."

Dan nodded, "Like you said, I love to fill in the blanks."

"Then you're going to love this assignment. You people know the drill, move out!"

"Rodger!", they saluted and headed for the ready room.

"Somebody remember to pack the sun block," Boomer said as he exited the room. Dan stopped just long enough to shake his head. He reached the door and gave the Major and Michelle a handgun shooting motion as the door closed.

"Now the part I hate," The Major said as he headed for his office, "the waiting."

Michelle took her seat at the table and started tracking down any piece of info on the island she could find, "You and me both."

***

"I can't believe all you did was make her apologize," Boomer complained to Dan. They arrived on the island a half hour ago. He decided it would be best to split up into two groups to check out the sightings. Ace and Rev went north of their landing zone to check things out while he, D.E and Boomer went south. Of course Boomer decided then would be a good time to let him know about the headlock. Dan knew his team well enough that making Ace apologize would be more effective than anything else he could think of. Not that he let Boomer know that.

"You should have told him you cried or something man," D.E. told him.

"I am not going to tell him I cried!", he shouted. Dan turned around and clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Keep talking and I'll tell Ace she can take off the kid gloves, got it?", he told him. Boomer nodded. He shot a look at D.E. who put up his hands. Letting go of Boomer he turned back around and kept going. Both of them kept quiet for a long time while he concentrated on his surroundings. Dan would have done this part by himself but it wouldn't have been smart in this situation. Something caught his eye and he immediately held up his left hand. D.E. and Boomer stopped as ordered as he knelt down to get a closer look. A couple of broken twigs were barely hanging on to a bush. It looked pretty fresh too. Dan looked around and saw a couple of more a little further up. He drew his SP-Shooter and the other did the same. Waving them on he cautiously moved forward. A very loud crunch made them stop. D.E. was about to accuse Boomer of making the noise when Dan held up a hand.

A blue frog in a white lab coat came into view, "Hello, hello yes, yes. SPD you be I see."

"How dumb is this guy?", Boomer asked.

"He ain't the dumb one kid," Dan informed him.

"We walked into one didn't we?", D.E. asked as he looked around.

"Yes, yes," Gremlin said and stomped the ground with his foot twice. The ground under them fell away and they dropped about fifteen feet into a rectangular room. The ceiling closed back up and the overhead lights came on. They only way out appeared to be a sliding door. Gremlin voice came over a hidden speaker. "Black badge is new, think information should be worth something to right person."

"That frog's on my last nerve already," Dam muttered. "Change standby. Emergency! DekaOps!" they pressed the button on top of the Ops License revealing a black badge inside. Nothing happened, "What?"

Gremlin could be heard laughing with glee, "So happy that worked, very rich it will make me yes, yes. Figured out DekaMetal activation sequence, but more fun this way. Very, very rich"

"We got to get out of her now. Get that door opened now," Dan ordered.

"Only open from the other side yes, yes. Hmm, SPD only travel in packs of more than three, means more out there." They looked at each other, Rev and Ace. Dan started pulling at the doors edges. "Think guards should play with them a bit yes, yes." A click could be heard from the speaker and things went silent.

"That looks like it might be an access panel," Boomer pointed out, too bad there were no visible screws or anything.

"Take aim," Dan ordered. They pointed their SP-Shooters at the panel, on his word they all fired. The panel fell off but nothing but circuit board were on the other side of it. "Where's Michelle when you need her?"

"Too bad the D-Hacks are in the hard pack with the DekaSuits," D.E. said. "We could probably use them right about now."

"Worry about it later." Dan switched his License over to phone, "Ace come in."

"Ace here," she answered. Dan relaxed a bit, at least Gremlin didn't block this function.

"We fell into a trap..."

"Me and Rev are on our way."

"Hold it, Gremlin's on his way to you. He found a way to keep the Dekametal from forming. Suit up now if you can and concentrate on him. We'll figure a way out of here in the meantime."

She hesitated before replying, "Rodger, Ace out."

"Now how are we suppose to do that?", D.E. asked. "Boomer might be able to blow the door open but we got no place to take cover." While they were talking Boomer was studying the circuitry in the panel. Before either of them knew it he was taking off his pack and hooking up his comm. gear to it. "Trying to boost the signal?"

"Not exactly," he said concentrating.

"Now how is you communication gear suppose to help us out of here then?"

"I'm going to use it to communicate with the door. If I can get the right frequency I might be able to open the door."

Dan looked at D.E. ,"Should I be scared now, because that made perfect sense."

"Cap," he said, "you just had your Boomer moment. Don't worry we all had it."

After working on it for fifteen minutes the door suddenly slid open. Boomer was grinning ear to ear, "And there you go."

Dan clapped him on the shoulder, "Kid, I take back every nasty thing I ever thought about you," and headed out into the hallway.

"Than... hey, wait a minute."

***

"Trish are you all right?!", Rev yelled out. Both of them were hiding behind a set of boulders. Good thing Cap told them to activate the suits when he did. Five minutes after he contacted them she took the most hits from a barrage of fire from the tree line. Before they scrambled for cover she was able to see a set of gray humanoid robot, a design she never seen before, being led by an Igadroid coming in their direction. "Trish!", he called out again a little more urgently.

"Had the breath knocked out of me," she called back. She looked over the rock to see a couple of the gray robots form a black version the Hybrid Magnum, or something like it. "Not good," She and Rev jumped out from hiding firing their D-Shooters and traded positions. One of the gray robots went down but another one came out of the blue and took it'd place. "Son of a bitch."

"I believe somebody is playing a game of cat and mouse, is that the right term?"

"Yeah, and we're the mouse."

"Wait," the Igadroid commanded. "Professor Gremlin wants to prolong this."

"Yes, yes," Gremlin sat in his control room watching the entire thing unfold. After the guards were done with them he would let them take pot shots at the ones he captured earlier. As he gave an order to the hidden guards to circle the Deka officers he would have to remember to thank Agent Chatrox for supplying him the parts to build these new model droids. If they worked as well as he predicted he would be very rich indeed.

Ace and Rev found themselves pinned down for a long time. Any time either of them tried to move a hail of bullets forced them back to where they were. To make matters worse Cap and the others weren't responding to her hails, so she had no idea if they were able to get out or not. Then she saw some movement in the forest behind them. Looks like a lot more cats were getting ready to come out and play. Ace looked over and made a quick couple of hand motions to Rev who nodded and they unhooked their D-Shots from their packs. If this was it they might as well go down fighting.

"Now!", Ace shouted and they turned and fired behind them. Sparks could be seen as the slugs made contact. The Igadroid was about to order as about to order them to fire when two of the gray robots next to him went down. D.E. appeared behind them, somehow able to get his hand on a set of the copy cat D-Magnums and was firing away. Ace and Rev took the opportunity to fire in the Igadroid's troops direction.

"No, no," Gremlin said as he started pressing button and pulling levers on his control panel. "Not possible, not possible. Should not be out, impossible. Take them out now!" Suddenly the gray robots he designed stopped functioning and stood there. "No, no!", he looked around and saw a black box fixed to one of his computers. A black and yellow clad figure was operating it as a black and red one stood by his side pointing a weapon at Gremlin. "Not possible, not possible!"

"Boomer?", Dan asked.

"Base is getting a clear signal and diving into his data banks now."

Ace, Rev and D.E. had the Igadroid surrounded. She and Rev locked their License into the D-Shots as D.E. connected the Hybrid Magnum together. They pointed their weapons at the Igadroid as Ace shouted, "Strikeout!" and all three of them fired. The Igadroid was obliterated moment later, "Got you."

Gremlin tried to run but they cut him off. Dan pointed his D-Shot at him and waved him away from the control panel. He glanced over to Boomer, "Why don't you take this one kid. You earned it."

"Right," he held out his License in Judge Mode and said, "Target orders." The area went black as a red X and a blue circle started flashing in front of Gremlin. The alien frog started fidgeting after a minute and the red X shined brightly. "Eliminate target." Boomer and Dan hooked their License to the D-Shots and pulled back the grip, "Ready.". Inside the weapon energy started traveling through it into the front barrel, "Strikeout!", they pulled the triggers and two blue energy shot out and Gremlin was deleted. "Got ya!", Boomer cried out.

***

Michelle went over the information she was receiving with great interest. "Good news Cap, we got just about everything," she said over the line. "How are things on your end?"

"We located all of the copy cat tech on the island and have stockpiled it in his base. Boomer's getting ready to blow it up when you get the word. Michelle did you discover what he did with the suits?"

"I made that a top priority in my search. We got lucky, he apparently just figured out how to do that today and tried it out in you. He didn't tell anybody about his discovery yet."

Dan let out a sigh of relief, "Thank God for that. Any idea who's on his buyer list?"

"Who you looking for names, or Agent locations for that matter, I can't help you. All I'm finding of a bunch of random numbers that could be Agents or buyers. There's one here that's been crossed out recently."

"If it's an Agent it might be the one DekaRescue took out."

"That's what I was thinking. I'll send a copy of this to the other Deka units and to SPD command to see if they can help figure this out. So when are you guys coming back home."

"As soon as we're done here. But Ace and D.E. are trying to convince me to extend our stay for a bit."

Michelle started to smile to herself, "So the Shepard's engines are acting up huh?"

"I didn't say..."

"Don't worry I'll let the Major know that Ace is going to need a couple of hours to fix the problem."

Dan started to sound upset, "Now wait a...."

She didn't give him a chance to finish, "You owe me one Cap. I'll let you know how you can repay me when you get back. Oh and while you're down there pick me up something nice, nothing too flashy now. Base out," she quickly closed the connection and leaned back into her chair.

Ace, who was close enough to hear the whole thing said, "I'm gonna find me a dumb surfer boy."

"But I got to get back to Lisa," Boomer whined

Ace didn't even turn around, "Stuff it Boom-Boom."

Dan just looked at his License in total confusion, "What the hell just happened?"

***

Chatrox stepped out of the machine and unhooked himself from the various wires and tubes then looked at his hands. With a bit of concentration he was able to turn his blackish gray scaly hands into disgusting human pink and back again. This phase of the plan was done, now on to the next part of it.


	9. Chapter 9

Special Police DekaOps

8

Alone at last, well as alone as you could be in a public bar at any rate. Dan hid in the darkness the was able to provide. His beer was half gone at this point. For the first time in awhile he was actually able to relax. He actually envied the others at times, how they could just sit back and relax no matter what. Pierce could be seen joining them at times before he went home at night. Dan on the other hand, well there was a reason why he had to get out of there at times. He's been living at OpsBase for a while now but he still didn't feel comfortable there.

The team wasn't the problem, they were a good bunch of kids. Dan laughed to himself, he was a couple of years older than D.E. and Boomer and he thought of them as kids. Even Rev was technically older the he was. He was used to hanging around the Major and Michelle was easy to get along with. No the problem was the entire situation, he was army and the others were police. Like he told Rev it was worlds apart, and he couldn't get over it. Not for the first time he wondered why he told Pierce yes.

"Fast Track?", a voice he recognized broke through his thoughts.

Dan looked over and saw two guys in civvies, one with longer brown hair than he remembered and the other with dirtier blond colored hair than his. His mood immediately changed, "Petey!", he got out of the booth and grabbed his hand. Petey dragged him in for a hug. He went to shake the other guys hand, "Andy how you doing?"

"I'm fine," he said without moving an inch. Things were still frosty apparently.

"Come on sit." Dan sat back in his booth and the other joined him. "Petey, you on leave or something?"

Petey leaned back and said, "I'm out man."

Dan jaw dropped, god he was out of the loop. "Wait, Mr. 'They're going to have to bury me in my army greens' left the army? Did hell freeze over?"

"And the Devil giving out free sleigh rides," he joked. "Figured I went as far I could go and thought I try something new."

Andy stared right at Dan. "At least he had a choice in leaving," he said bitterly.

"Andy for the last time..."

"Dudes, chill," Petey quickly said. "We haven't seen each other in ages. Why ruin the moment with bad feelings." Andy said nothing but he started playing with a napkin. "So what have you been up to Fast track? You pretty much disappeared after your last stint in the middle east?"

"I've been keeping busy," he answered.

"Have you? Word going around after you disappeared was that you joined one of those space cops units."

Dan tried to look like he wasn't playing with his mug, "You heard wrong man."

"Good," Andy said. "Any Army guy joining that bunch of posers should be shot as a traitor."

"No kidding," Petey agreed. "Give me a good ol' American tank over that alien crap any day."

"And an AK over a laser rifle to blow them to hell," Dan said getting lost in the moment.

"You better believe it," Him and Petey touched fist. God this was just like old times. "So what are you doing then?"

"Or would you have to kill us if you told us?", Andy asked, a bit of his old self returning.

"I would never kill you guys," Dan told them. Then he added, "I'd beat you so bad that you'd forget, but I would never kill you."

"That's not a denial", Andy laughed.

"Come on," Petey said getting up, "I know a bar were the waitresses are hotter and wear less."

"I'm there," Dan said calling for his tab. The three of them exited and laughed like old times. They went about half a block before his License went off and Petey checked his to see if it was his cell phone. "Damn it."

"Duty calls," Petey said and he handed him a card with a number on it. "Give me a call when you got some free time."

"You better believe I will." Dan quickly went off and turned a corner pulling his License out, "This is Stevens, go."

"Cap," Michelle said, "we got a situation about four block west of your position. D.E and Ace were sent out earlier to check out a disturbance that sounded like the Alienizers had something to do with. They just requested back up."

"Why wasn't I told about this earlier?", he asked as he headed for the jeep.

"It was an unconfirmed rumor when we got a hold of it. The Major thought it was important enough to check out but not send in the full team."

"ETA for Rev and Boomer?"

"You'll beat them by a few minutes."

"Right, Stevens out." Dan got there in no time and found Ace and D.E. struggling against a twelve foot tall gray humanoid looking figure. He saw nothing like that in the SPD database. Dan switched his License back to Change and ran in. "Emergency! DekaOps!", there was a quick digital flash and he was in his black and red DekaSuit. Ace had reached in and grabbed the things shirt. It ripped off as the thing threw her. D.E. and Dan caught her before she hit the wall. "Status report!"

"We've been better," D.E. told him.

"We got a report of an Alienizer in the area and found the Hulk's ugly cousin, or he found us," Ace informed him.

"Right," Dan said. "Let's try to subdue this thing then figure out where it came from." They pulled out their D-Rods and surrounded the thing. Dan took a swing at it's knee and D.E. did the same. Ace was able to get a D-Whopper around one of it's wrists while it was distracted. Quicker than he thought possible it grabbed D.E. by the head with his other hand and threw him further down the alley. "Terry!", Dan shouted before a bank hand sent him flying into a wall hard. It ripped off the D-Whopper as Ace backed up.

"That's it," she took out her License and switched it to Judge, "Target Orders!" The alley went dark and the X and circle started flashing before the X shined brightly. "Eliminate target," Ace hooked her License to her D-Shot as the thing turned around. Dan head cleared in time to see the eagle tattoo on it's back.

"What?", he was stunned. Ace called out for a strikeout and was ready to pull the trigger. Dan ran in and slapped the barrel down as she fired, "NO!" The blue energy stream missed by inches as the thing jumped out of the alley. Dan watched him leave, where did it get that tattoo?

"Cap what the hell?", Ace demanded but he ignored her, and prayed to God that wasn't an Eagle.

***

"What you did was inexcusable!" the Major yelled in his face. The others were staying as far away as they could in the control room, except Michelle who stayed by her table. But she was looking very uncomfortable. "You intentionally let a target get away. What in the hell was going through that head of yours?!"

Dan clinched his fist and turned his head away," I don't have an excuse sir."

"That's because there's no excuse for this! If that thing kills anybody it's on your head." The Major walked away and tried to calm down. "I can't over look something like this. You're confined to base for the next two days, and you better hope nobody dies from your mistake." Dan said nothing in response. He just took out his License, slapped it on the rail and walked back to his quarters.

"Cap, that's not what he...," Michelle started before the Major put a hand on her shoulder.

After the door closed he said, "Give him some time to cool off." He turned to Ace and D.E., "Exactly what happened?"

"We told you everything," D.E. told him.

"Well tell me again," he snapped. "I need to know every little detail. I've known Dan since he was a grunt back in basic. He wouldn't do anything like this without some kind of reason."

"I don't know what we left out," Ace said. "Unless it was that marking on it's back."

"Marking?", Pierce was desperate at this point. "What marking?"

"The thing looked like it had a tattoo on it's back, might have been a bird, I really didn't pay much attention to it."

"I got a good look at it," D.E. said, "it was a bird."

The Major found a piece of paper and a pen and handed it to them. "Draw it for me." It took a several minutes but Ace and D.E. were able to make up a rough draft of what they saw.

Rev studied it for a bit, "The Captain has as similar marking on the back of his shoulder, does he not?"

"Now that you mention it," D.E. said, "it does look like that eagle tattoo he has."

"That might explain it," the Major mumbled. "The Eagles."

"All right I'm lost now," Ace said

"Cap was tight with a bunch of guys back during basic," he explained. "Somehow they ended up being called the Eagles. I have never seen a bunch of guys who worked so well together. They watched each other back no matter what the problem was and they didn't leave each other behind no matter who gave the order. There was a running joke with the commanders at the time. If you wanted a job done right you better have an Eagle on it. If you wanted it done to perfection you needed at least two. But something drove them apart while I was helping Mynx set things up for the program, he never told me what exactly happened."

While that was going on Dan was in his quarters. His bomber jacket and shirt was thrown on the bed. He was staring at that same tattoo in his mirror for a long time before looking into his own eyes. Not liking what he was seeing in there Dan went to the other wall and started shadow boxing. After a few punches he looked up and realized he was looking right at a picture of him and his buddies back in the Army. Dan was in the center with Petey and Andy on one side with Barry and Jason on the others. An Eagle banner hung behind them. A happier time, before the trial.... His fist shattered the glass of the picture frame as he let the frustration over take him.

***

Those two days went by slowly as Dan mainly stayed his quarters. Michelle and the others tried to get him out but he wouldn't listen. When his time was up he immediately went to the Major and asked for a week to find out what was happening before he sent the case to DekaRail, if he hadn't already. It took awhile but he finally got that week. Luckily they found out Michelle had somehow forgotten to pack what evidence they had for DekaRail during those two days. The Major wasn't happy but he let it go. "That's two you owe me," she teased him.

It took her no time to locate two names for him, Barry Nordstrom and Jason Hart. Petey and Andy were with him when he got the call if it was one of his friends it wasn't them. The first name he checked out was Barry. He was living in a nearby suburb from last report. He found the place he was living at with no problem. Dan hid behind a tree as he saw Barry in his wheelchair playing with his daughter Danielle. He stayed there for a few moments just watching them, he couldn't believe how big that girl has gotten since the last time he saw her. He should have tried to find them sooner and mentally kicked himself. Dan left wanting to believe she be afraid of her father if he did turn into that thing.

Jason location was, expectantly, a veteran's hospital a couple of cities away. Dan found his room with nobody questioning him but surprise to find it was empty. The room looked like it hadn't been used in awhile. Did he die or something. "Excuse me," he said to a passing by nurse, "What happened to Sgt. Hart?"

"I'm not sure I can tell you," she said. Dan pulled out his fake Springfield PD ID and badge and showed it to her. "A little out of your jurisdiction aren't you?"

"I'm following a lead for a case I'm working on. I'm a little surprised it led me to an empty room."

"Then you might want to check with the local police then. They covered the place pretty good."

This wasn't sounding good, "What happened?"

"Sgt. Hart disappeared a month ago."

"No," Dan whispered.

"Kidnapping a guy in a coma. I mean how low can you go?", she walked off saying. So Jase was still in his coma, but now he had two mysteries to worry about, and hope weren't connected. He saw a set of pajamas hanging in the closet, on a hunch he checked it out.

"Stevens to Base," he said into his License.

"Base here," Michelle answered. "What is it Cap?"

"I'm scanning a pajama top and sending the info to you. Compare it to the shirt we got from the target the other night."

"On it," she replied. A few seconds later, "Ours is dirtier but it's a near perfect match."

Dan resisted the urge to pound the wall. It was looking more and more likely that thing was Jase. "Thanks Michelle, Stevens out."

***

Petey phone started ringing, without thinking he answered it, "Yeah?"

"Petey, it's me," Dan said.

"Fast track, I didn't think I hear from you so soon." Or ever for that matter.

"Yeah I know. Petey did you know somebody took Jase?"

"Yeah man," he tried not to sound nervous, "I found out when it happened. Where have you been?"

"I just found out," he sounded distraught. "Why would anybody take him in that condition?"

"I don't know man. There's a whole lot of sick people in this world. It could have been one of those freaking aliens for all I know. Look, I got to go I'm getting another call that might be the one I've been waiting for."

"All right, I'll talk to you later."

"Right, later," he quickly ended the call and looked over at Andy. "How did I let you talk me into this?"

"Cause we're the only real friends we got," he told him. "And you didn't exactly reject the idea when I told you we could help Jase out."

"Yeah, help him wake up and walk. Not turn him into that thing in there."

"An unfortunate side effect I wasn't expecting," said a blue white haired alien in a purple coat. "But a very interesting one at that."

"Screw that!", Petey exploded. "Are you any closer in fixing this?"

"Not without returning him to his previous vegetative state."

"I don't believe you."

"Petey calm down," Andy said. "The doctor is doing everything he can. Look, get some air and clear your head." Petey did just that but he still didn't look happy. When they were alone he said, "That Agent you told me about better deliver."

"Chatrox in rather new but the bosses are pretty high on him." He turned to the window and watched the gray thing in the holding cell he designed. "Don't worry comrade, you'll get your money soon enough."

"I didn't do this for the money," he said a little too quickly. "I did it to help Jase."

"Yes, I'm sure those loan sharks I overheard you worrying about will be impressed with your loyalty to your friend." Andy shut up. "You might be interested to know that the field test for the recall device I implanted in his head worked perfectly."

"It better have. It took me forever to convince Petey to take a night out on the town with me the other night."

"Your friend is very lucky comrade," the alien doctor told him. "So far he is the first successful test subject of my super soldier treatment. Agents galaxy wide will play both sides of any conflict, selling the process to the highest bidder. Then they will come to me looking for better weapons to use. A beautiful repeating cycle, don't you think so comrade." Andy remained quiet, disgusted with himself.

**

Rev was working in something in the med bay lab when Dan walked in. He didn't move, but he did say, "Good day Captain. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Maybe Rev," Dan pulled up a stool and sat next to him. "Do you have any idea what could make a guy turn into what we faced the other night?"

"I have been pondering that very notion since you and the others reported it." Rev stopped what he was doing and bug eyes stared at him. "My first thoughts were that his genetic structure was altered dramatically. I had other theories as well but the restructuring theory is the only one that makes sense with the facts I am aware of."

"Genetic restructuring is illegal galaxy wide," Dan said recalling what he could remember of galactic law. "Is there any Alienizers experimenting in this field?"

"Far too many I am afraid," he sighed. "Several who are unaccounted for at the moment." Dan raised an eyebrow at that one. "I made a silent inquiry into the SPD database while you were confined to base. So I was left to figure out how this was done."

"Do I want to know how many options these guys got?"

Rev looked like he was smiling, "Not as many as you think Captain. Most genetic resequencers use some form of radiation. Even those that use nano machines need a small amount to get the restructuring started."

"How fast can something like this be done?"

"I would need to know the estimated time line."

"I should have asked if Jase was getting any visitors before he was taken," he muttered. "Can this resequencer be small, say you can fit it in a briefcase?"

"The device itself needs to be able to house the subject in question."

"So they couldn't carry it in. Say at least a month."

Rev thought it over for a moment, "There are several form of radiation that could do that."

"That narrows it down I guess."

"Captain I might add a resequencer is very difficult to get a hold of. More than likely it as built on site using local materials. I might also add that current Earth technology is not exactly up to the galactic standards needed for such a device."

Dan got what he was hinting at, "So chances are good that it was cobbled together and might have some leaks." He got up and patted Rev on the shoulder, "Thanks, now I got to see if Michelle can help me locate a stray source of radiation."

"Actually I already went over this with Michelle while you were out," Rev told him. "She would not exactly do the scan. The Major told her that this was your, and I am quoting her, 'fool's errand' and that you were on your own. She did, however, tell me that I had until she went and got a cup of coffee and returned to find anything on the scanners. She took longer than I anticipated."

Dan smiled to himself, that was another one he owed her, "Did you find anything useful."

"I discovered a source of A-Theta radiation, something commonly used for this sort of thing, around the docks by the river. Michelle returned before I could pinpoint an exact location." He returned to the device he was working on, "I modified this scanner to detect A-Theta radiation." Rev handed him the device, "Good hunting Captain."

"Rev..." he began.

"Captain, I understand better than the others about what you did. True friendship and loyalty is a rare thing in this universe. Although I pray to the Great Spirit that your friend was not turned into the thing from the other night."

Dan took the device and pocketed it, "So do I Rev, so do I."

An hour later Dan was in the ready room getting into his gear, alone. Or he was until Ace and Michelle came in. They looked on as he finished gearing up. Dan Made sure he kept his back to them. "I'll get the others," Ace said.

"No," he ordered. "I'm doing this one solo."

"That's not smart Cap," Michelle said. "You don't know what you're walking into."

"I'll risk it. I'm good at filling the blanks remember."

"Cap you're not alone in this," Ace told him. "We want to get the bastard that did this too." She looked into his locker and her eyes went wide. She reached in and grabbed his badge and OpsLicense before he could stop her. Ace stared at them before looking him in the eyes. He couldn't return the look and turned away. "You were going to leave these behind weren't you?"

"I'm just complying with the Major wishes," he said. He went to leave but Michelle and Ace kept blocking his path, "Get out of my way."

"Dan you can't make this personal," Michelle told him.

"If that thing is Jason then it's already personal. And I'm not dragging SPD into this."

"If he was changed by an Alienizer than SPD is already involved." Michelle took the black badge from Ace and pinned it back on his shirt. "You're part of SPD now, and you took an oath to uphold everything it stands for. And I will be damned if I stand here and let you throw all of that away." She grabbed the License and held it out to him. Dan reluctantly took it and put it back in its holster. She had a satisfied look on her face, "Now me and Ace won't have to beat any sense into you." Dan forced a half smile and left. "You better come back in one piece."

Dan stopped at the door. He took the cap off his head and put it on Michelle's. "I'll be back for this," he told her softly. In his regular voice he said, "Ace, you're in charge until then."

"Rodger," Ace said and saluted. "Oh, I recently did an overhaul on one of the Hounds. Can you do me favor and take it for a long test drive? To say the river and back. Just to make sure the kinks are out of it, of course." He nodded and headed for the hanger.

***

"What do you mean you're sending him out for another test?", Andy demanded. The Doctor was already activating the release protocols. "What if Petey comes by tonight?"

"Don't worry about it comrade, he is far away from here. He will not be in."

"God, you better hope so. If Petey ever found out..."

"If I ever found out what?", Petey surprised him. "I knew I couldn't trust you two."

"Petey, listen to me, it's not what you think."

"Do you think I'm an idiot or something? I overheard you guys talking, some shit about super soldiers and all of that. I'm calling the cops."

Andy and the Doctor both pulled out guns, so did Petey. "Let's just talk this out," Andy said trying to defuse the situation. "We're all in this really deep."

"God, is that the line you used on Fast Track? I would have turned you in too." A shot went over their heads and they ducked slightly. In the doorway was a man in a black military style uniform and light chest armor. The only hint of color was the red star on his right shoulder. He leveled his SP-Shooter at them and came closer. Petey was finally able to get a good look at him, "Fast Track?"

"Please tell me you're not involved in this." As soon as he said it his entire demeanor went emotionless and he ordered, "Drop your weapons now and get on the ground."

Andy charged, Dan sidestepped and tripped him to the ground. He kicked his gun away and kneeled down on his neck to keep down. He pointed the Shooter back at the others. "Damn it Andy," Petey moaned.

"Drop your weapons now!", Dan ordered again. Petey complied but the doctor stood there smiling. A Batsuroid dropped from the ceiling and threw a grenade. Ten Anaroids formed and stood between them.

"You are outnumbered comrade," the Doctor said. "Perhaps you are the one who should drop his weapon." Dan stood up, holstered the Shooter and took his License out of it's holder.

Andy looked up and saw it in his hands, "You lying son of a bitch!" He got up quickly and knocked it out of his hands. The Anaroids choose then to walk foreword. Dan took out his SP-Shooter and knife and got ready.

"Light it up!" Ace voice called out. Something small and black went flying over head. Dan had just enough time to lower his head and cover his eyes. The object exploded in a bright flash of light, disrupting the bots motor function momentarily while the others were blinded. Dan ran back and dove behind some crates. Ace, already in her DekaSuit, joined him shortly.

"What are you doing here?"

"Thought it was a nice night to do some field exercises," she told him. He couldn't see it but he knew she was grinning behind that helmet. "Michelle suggested that this might be a lovely spot for it. Lucky coincidence for you huh?"

"You're crazy if you think I'm going to buy that bunch of bull, you know that?"

"It's why you choose me for the job," she said. While they were talking the Doctor was back at the controls.

"He's out!", he proclaimed after a moment. "He'll take care of these people."

"What?", Petey said. "No you can't." He ran into the holding area as shots were fired and returned.

Dan and Ace heard the whole thing from where they were. "Go," she told him, "we got this." He nodded and went around to follow Petey taking the occasional pot shot at a bot or the control panel. When he got there the thing that used to be Jason was throwing things around the room. Petey was in front of it trying to calm him down, Dan pointed his SP-Shooter right at him.

"No," Petey cried out. "I can calm him down!" About them Jason grabbed him by the back of his head, picked him up and slammed him into the ground face first. Petey wasn't moving and he was a thought away from pulling the trigger.

"Jase!", Dan shouted and he put away his weapon. Jase grabbed a crate and threw it at him. He dove out of the way as the thing grabbed a pipe off of the ceiling and water started pouring down on top of them "Jase calm down! Listen to me, please!" He tried to reason with him and dodge at the same time. Running out of ideas he finally went, "Stand down Sargent!" The thing seemed to understand that, "That's an order soldier!"

The thing took a long look at him, he squatted down and grunted, "Da...Danny?"

He got through to him, "Yeah Jase, it's me."

Jase looked at this hands and back at him, "Help?"

"God I hope they can. But I promise you, even if they can't, I'll do everything in my power to make sure they treat you right." Jase looked around and saw Petey lifeless body and made a short crying sound. "That wasn't your fault Jase, you didn't know what you were doing. Don't worry, I'll protect you."

His eyes teared up and looked around again. "No," he said as he picked him up, walked over and put him on top of the stair way.

"What are you doing?", Dan asked as he walked away. Jase was heading for what looked like electrical cables. Panicking Dan looked down at the water covered floor, "Jase don't do it!" He went to run after him but Rev and D.E. came up behind him and held him back. He looked at them and shouted, "Cut the power to this place!"

"Cap...," D.E. started.

"Do it now!", he shouted. Dan looked back at Jase, who already pulled the wires off the wall, "Jase no!" He stood there with the wires in his left hand, with his right he made the gun shooting motion the came up with. Cocked, locked and ready to rock. The he brought his right hand up to his head in a salute. Tearing up Dan returned the salute. Then Jase dropped the wires into the water. He jolted for what seemed like an eternity before falling to the ground. Rev and D.E. let him go as Dan fell to his knees.

Ace had judged the Doctor and the order was to take him alive. Andy was there next to him as Dan and the others walked out. "Dan you got to believe me," he pleaded. "I didn't want this to happen. I just wanted to help Jase."

"Shut up," Dan ordered, not wanting to deal with him at the moment.

Andy got mad and sarcastically said, "Yes sir, Lieutenant Fast track sir! The rules and regulations before anything else! Is there anything this lowly maggot needs to know Lieutenant Fast track sir?"

Dan stopped and got right in his face. "Yeah there is, it's Captain." His fist connected with Andy's jaw before any of them realized it. Not that they would have tried and stop him if they did. Dan watched him lie there for a moment then said, "Get this son of a bitch out of my sight," and stormed off.

"That was police brutality," Andy said as Ace and D.E. dragged him back up to his feet.

"Newsflash," Ace told him, "He's still Army and he can do whatever he wants."

"No he can't," Andy argued.

"Look one more word out of you and I'm going to feed you to my friend over there," she pointed over to Rev. He looked peaceful but Andy still looked like he was about to piss himself and shut up.

***

Jase's funeral was set for a morning service two days later. Dan waited until late afternoon to visit his grave. He stood there for a moment before taking a beer can out of his jacket pocket. He drank half of it then slowly poured the rest on top of the grave before walking off. Not wanting to return to base he ended up sitting on a bench in the park holding his head in his hands. He barely registered a body sitting down next to him. A hand holding a penny entered his vision, he looked over to see it belonged to Michelle. He pushed her hand away saying, "I wouldn't know where to begin."

"The beginning usually works for me," she said. "Or you can answer something that's been bothering me and the others. Like why that guy was calling you Fast Track."

"A nick name they gave me," he explained, "I was usually the first one out of us getting promoted. Everybody joked about it, but I guess it was a bigger problem than I thought because things started breaking down around the time I made Second Lieutenant. Suddenly I wasn't one of the guys anymore in their eyes, particularly Andy's."

"And that's what split the group up?"

"No, it might have made the cracks but that wasn't it." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I was walking around base one night. I saw some lights and heard some noise coming from supply. So I checked it out. Andy and a couple of others were robbing the place. Before they noticed me I heard one of them say something about the black market. Andy saw me and started begging that I keep quiet and that this was the only time he did this and swore that he would never do this again."

"So he was upset that you turned him in, what a jackass."

Dan didn't look at her, "I walked away and didn't report it. I put my friendship before my duty and never said anything to anybody. The idiot was caught red handed anyway by the MPs ten minutes later. He swore up and down that I sold him out to the MPs. Nobody believed his claims that I was there and saw the whole thing. I kind of knew how he felt. Four of the closest friends I ever had and only one believed me when I told them I kept quiet."

"I'm surprised you didn't try to yourself in for withholding information."

"I was about to, but Barry talked me out of it. He told me why should I ruin my record over him. I never should have listened to him."

"I'm glad you did," the Major said behind them. Ace and the other were with him.

"Major," Dan said as he stood up. The Major walked around the bench stand next to him.

"I always wondered what happened between you guys. Now I know. I'm not going to condone what you did back then, but I'm not going to hang you by it either." The Major put a hand on his shoulder, "I've seen a lot of guys ignore their conscious to get ahead in their career over the years. It was very rare that I've seen someone ready to sacrifice their career in order to keep it clear. I'm proud to say I trained one of them."

"Here," Ace said holding a bag, "we chipped in and got this fixed for you." Inside was the picture of him and his buddies in a new frame. The other thing in the bag caught him off guard.

He pulled out the second, empty picture frame, "What's this for? You guys figured I'm going to go off and break the other one too?"

"Actually," Ace pulled a camera out of her pocket, "we figured you could use a picture of your new group too." Michelle took the camera as they surrounded him. "Wait, Michelle you got to get in here too."

She shook her head no, "You guys are the team, not me."

"Michelle that's BS and you know it," Boomer said. "You're part of this team too."

"Come on Michelle," Ace and D.E encouraged her. She still back off.

"Get in the shot Lieutenant and that an order," Dan said with a smile.

She smiled back, "Sir, yes sir." She handed the camera to the Major. He held up a hand before they could say anything.

"Cap, let me remind you that I am the only person in this unit you can't give an order too. Besides, somebody got to take the picture." He took a few steps back as they got into position. Dan just stood there with his arms crossed. Ace stood to his right and copied his pose. Michelle got behind Dan and wrapped her arms around his neck. Rev stood to their left clasping his hands behind his back. D.E. and Boomer put an arm around the other shoulder and made a peace sign with their free hand. The Major made sure the camera was ready to go and he said, "Emergency."

"DekaOps," they all said as he snapped the picture


	10. Chapter 10

Special Police DekaOps  
9

The last few days were kind of rough. John McGee from Inside Extra got word about the "gray humanoid" and ran with it. And trying to find a way to tie it in with the mysterious Deka unit. Everybody could see how this was affecting Cap so she decided to call in one of the favors he owed her, a night out for drinks. Just to get his mind off things of course. She looked herself over in the mirror at the black dress she was wearing. She asked Ace, who was flipping through one of her computer magazines, "How does this one look?"

"It makes your butt look big," she said not even looking at her.

"Could you please try and be a little more helpful"

"You're just going out for a friendly round of drinks. It's not like this is a date or anything," Ace looked up a bit, "right?"

Michelle returned to the mirror, "I just don't want to give Cap the wrong impression, that's all." There was a knock at her door, "Crap he's here already." Ace got up and put this blue shawl around her shoulders that went with her dress, "That's perfect, thanks."

"What are friends for?", Ace said as she opened the door. Cap was on the other side.

"Oh, hey Ace," he was wearing a gray suit and white shirt with a red handkerchief in the pocket. He looked over to Michelle and almost silently went, "Whoa." Ace put up a fist to her mouth and coughed. "Ah... are you ready to go? I can wait a few more minutes if you want."

"No, I'm ready to go when you are," she said. Cap offered an arm that she readily took. They entered the command room where D.E., Boomer and surprisinly the Major were waiting for them.

"They clean up nice don't they?", D.E. asked.

"All right you two," Boomer said looking serious, "we want both of you home at a reasonable hour." Then he got that familiar smirk back on his face, " But if you can't, I here there are plenty of no tell motels around."

Ace leaned against the doorway and went, "D.E."

He reared back and punched boomer on the arm again," Ow!"

"Don't you listen to these two," The Major said. "You two have some fun now, you hear? And don't do anything I wouldn't do."

As they walked to the elevator Cap said, "Then it's going to be a boring night, because according to Helen you don't do anything."

They got a good chuckle but the Major remained stone faced, "You're damn lucky I like you."

Ace leaned her head against the doorway as the elevator door closed. D.E. said, "And to think Cap was asking how he got roped into this. Was Michelle that nervous too Ace? Ace?", he looked back when she didn't answer but she was already gone.

***  
They sat at a local bar and just talked. It took her awhile but she got him to relax a bit, and hardly any alcohol was needed either. They even started to joke around after a bit. Dan apparently knew a couple of stories about the Major that even his wife didn't know about. "Oh man that, one is perfect blackmail material," she said while laughing.

"Why do you think he so nice to me?", he grinned. "I can't believe Helen hasn't found out what he does yet. Speaking of which, Ace was telling me D.E.'s family and Boomer's fiancé knows what we do."

She nodded, "The Major made some allowances. D.E.'s family share just about everything so he didn't feel it be right to keep something like this from them. Boomer actually begged to let him tell his fiancé because he didn't want to risk losing her."

Dan grinned again, "Pierce always was an old softy at heart."

"How about you Cap, would you tell anybody?"

His demeanor changed slightly, "Petey and Andy asked and I didn't tell them."

"What about Barry?", she asked. "I kind of figured he was the one who believed you back then." He didn't say anything but he did nod once. "According to the Major you two were pretty close."

"He asked me to be the Godfather of his little girl, who he and his wife named Danielle, after me. Do you want to see a picture?"

"I love too." Dan pulled out his wallet and took out a small photo of a red haired little girl with bright hazel eyes. "She's adorable."

Dan beamed with a bit of pride, "She looks like her mother, but you can see a some of Barry in there too. Danielle a little bigger now then when this was taken." His mind looked like it drifted a bit.

"You didn't say hello when you checked on them did you?"

"It's been over ten month since I last seen them. I didn't think it'd be good to just show up out of the blue and start asking questions like a cop."

Michelle put her hand on his, "You can call them anytime you know."

"I know, but like I said I disappeared for ten months. Just to call out of the blue, that's going to raise some questions. Ones I wouldn't feel right in answering."

"When you do let me know and I'll help you set things up." She patted his hand, "Of course you'll be back to owing me three favors."

"I've only counted two."

She started counting them on her hand," Well there this, letting Rev use the scanners behind my back and I'm saving Hawaii for something big."

Dan pointed a finger at her, "Hawaii doesn't count, you forced that one on me."

She gave out a short laugh, "I swear you are the only person on the planet who complained that they were given a few extra hours in paradise."

"The job was done there was no need to stay," he countered. "That what we do, get in, do the job and get out right after. Hell, I'm still trying to figure out how Ace snuck a set of civvies on board the Shepard without anybody seeing her."

"She got in, stashed it and got out right after," she mocked him and laughed. Dan grabbed a peanut out of a bowl, tossed it at her and started laughing too. A loud voice cut them off and grabbed everybody attention.

Dan looked around in case it was an Alienizer or something until he found the source, "Oh dear God no."

A man in a loud green suit was yelling at a waiter. "Do you know who I am? I'm John McGee, a very important reporter. Hell, I'm probably the most famous guy you ever had in this dump and you expect me to pay!?"

Michelle could tell Dan was mentally putting the cross hairs right between McGee's eyes. "So much for a quiet evening. How about we get out of here?"

"Sounds good to me." He paid the tab despite her wanting to split the bill. As they got out the door he said, "Michelle?"

"Yeah Cap?"

"How about I use one of those favors and take you for a walk through the park. Or does that sound too corny?"

She wrapped her arm around his, "Consider it paid in full," and they headed for a park across the street. "But you still owe me one for Hawaii."

***  
Chatrox pulled the cloak tightly around him, why did his newest client want to meet in a sewer of all places. He concentrated and turned invisible, a human work crew was down here. Now he had another stench to add to the ones already assaulting his nose. As he passed he thought of several ways to dispose of them quickly and quietly, but there was only one human on the planet he would actually touch to kill. And he had a client waiting. Turning several corners he found his latest client, a green skinned Trinoblean. He let his invisibilty dropped and shocked him, "Hello."

"Agent Chatrox," he was visibly startled and the third eye on his forehead blinked several times.

"Did you have any trouble setting things up?"

"No, the base is set up as planned. The only thing I need is the part you promised you could deliver."

"Of course," Chatrox pulled a box from under his cloak. "One SPD control processor, modified to your needs of course."

The Trinoblean started watering from the mouth, "How were you able to get a hold of something like this? SPD keeps these as guarded as their own weaponry."

"One of the perks of my previous line of employment that I highly miss. I was able to gain access to this before anybody noticed it was gone."

"I'll be able to hack into any government database with this. Slag, I might be able to access this planet's SPD computer network with this hooked into my systems."

"One thing at a time," he held out a hand. The Trinoblean placed a data card in it then held up a second one. Chatrox Interest was piqued.

"With something like this I'm going to need something extra to guard it, personally if I can," and he handed him the card, the amount on it was considerable. Chatrox quickly ran through his inventory in his mind.

"Will a Vulcanian war suit do?"

"More than enough."

I'm feeling generous today so I'll throw in a couple of extra Igadroids, free of charge." He nodded and they parted ways. Chatrox had to return to his base and change clothes. There was another meeting he had to attend to today.

***  
The field team entered the command room in no time. Dan nodded to Michelle who returned it. She looked over at the Major and started snickering to herself, again. This has been going on all day and it was starting to get on his nerves, and he had a feeling exactly when it started. "Cap, I realize it's none of my business, but what exactly did you two do last night?"

"We just talked," he said like noting was the matter, "told a couple of jokes, told some old stories, nothing important. Like how one day all your uniforms were 'accidentally' dyed pink."

Ace, Boomer and D.E. started snickering as well, an images of the Major in a pink uniform running through their minds. Rev even smiled a little at the thought. "Attention!", the Major snapped, they followed orders but D.E. kept snickering.

"I told you I'd get you back," Dan told him with a smirk

"Humph," the Major grunted. "If we could get back to business?" They got serious again in no time. "All right then, we have a request from the US government and SPD Earth command. A government criminal database was infected with a virus of some kind that quickly multiplied and erased it."

Michelle took over, "Their computer experts were able to isolate it, but it changed it's coding and escaped. But they were able to isolate it long enough to discover two things. One it was of alien origin and they brought in SPD. Our experts were able to determine it was the handy work of a Trinoblean named Digitox, and he specializes in this sort of thing.

"What was the second thing that they determined?", Ace asked

"It was apparently sent from an SPD source," the Major informed them. "Or at least that where they were they were able to back track it to right before they lost it."

"How is that possible?", Dan asked.

"Did he get in one of the bases?", Boomer wondered out loud.

"All of the bases on the planet were or are being checked as we speak, even ours to be on the safe side," the Major replied. "Right now we think he has something that can mimic an SPD ID signature, pretty convincingly too.

"That government database might have just been a warm up," Ace commented.

"Imagine the chaos if he was able to do the same with our criminal database," Rev added.

"That's what we're afraid of," Michelle said, "for the past couple of hours me and the other tech officers were able to get a rough location of where the virus was originally located." She pulled up a section of the map that highlighted the Rocky Mountains. "Satellite imagery is showing part of a complex that wasn't there before."

"The apparent nature of the virus makes coming up with a counter virus a little difficult. A person has to literally rewrite the anti-virus code on the fly," the Major informed them.

"So we set up a D-Hack and let Michelle take over from there," Dan said

"You're half right," The Major said. "There's a fear that the virus might use the D-Hack to jump into our system. So Michelle will be going with you on this one."

"What?", Dan body stiffened slightly.

"We would have asked one of the other units for assistance but they're currently busy fortifying their own systems at the moment," He explained. "Besides Michelle has her own License just like every other SPD officer so you won't have to worry about her." She held up a black License with white lettering to drive that point home.

Dan didn't look all that happy but he said, "You heard the Major, gear up and move out."

"Rodger," they said and headed for the door. Dan and Michelle looked at each other as she passed him. She winked at him but he kept his face all business. He shot a look at the Major before following.

***  
On the Shepard Michelle was wearing a field uniform similar to the other, but she didn't have a star on the right arm. She was typing away on laptop that was connected to the main computer back at OpBase. The fact she was doing this in the Shepard small med bay on the bed didn't bother her. The apparent silence from the main cabin was. Dan eventually walked in, "You all right back here?"

"It's not exactly first class but it'll do," she joked.

He leaned against the edge of the bed, "We would have given you better accommodation but the main cabin wasn't built to seat six."

Michelle closed her laptop, "Cap, are you all right with this?"

"A little late to be asking me now isn't it?"

"You had to know this was going to happen sooner or later. Hell, you seen me in the firing range practicing with this thing," she patted the SP-Shooter on her hip. "I wasn't trying to pass the time you know."

"Cap," D.E. called out from around the corner, "Ace said we're going to be there in five minutes."

"Right," he called back. To Michelle he said, "We'll talk about this later. We got a job to do and I need to know what kind of holes we're going to be dealing with."

She opened the laptop back up and turned so he could see. "I couldn't get much. The only thing showing is the opening right here." She highlighted that part of the screen. "Normal scan don't show us much, but I was able to get a hold of a thermal scan from an SPD satellite."

"You found a heat source?"

She wagged a finger at him, "Remember Cap, computers love the cold. And there's a very sizable cold spot where the door is inside the mountain. And using that and a couple of different program I was able to get a basic idea of what this looks like." She played with the control and a rough floor plan the size of a football field formed. "This is the best I could do is right here. The coldest spot seems to be right here, if I had to take a guess that would be the main computer room and our target."

"You're beautiful when you're right," he said. Then his face went red and told her, "I mean good job Michelle. I'll fill in the rest."

Ace landed the ship a short while later. The doorway was jutting out from the side of the mountain. D.E. and Boomer stood on either side of the door as Dan, Ace and Rev stood by with their Shooter drawn. Michelle hooked up a small pad from and ran a code breaker program. Several long minutes later the door split opened as Dan and the other covered the opening. He quickly held up four fingers than two and pointed inside. Boomer and D.E. both went in and with their SP-Shooters at the ready faced both sides of the upcoming corridor. "Right's clear," D.E. called out.

"Left's clear," Boomer added and they went inside.

"Emergency! DekaOps!", Dan said as the DekaMetal activated. "Which way is that control room?"

"To the right," she told him. He pulled the sky probe out of his pack and threw it down the corridor. Michelle linked up her pad with his as he checked the path so she have a map to work off of.

"I'm not seeing any surprises so far," he said.

"Back the probe up," Michelle told him. "That door there is where the cold spot is."

"Right," Dan commanded the probe to continue checking the corridor and took his helmet off. "Here's how we're going to do this. Me, Rev, D.E. and Boomer are going down the left corridor and provide a distraction. Ace you go with Michelle and cover her as she tackles that virus."

"Right," Michelle said. "I'll tell you when I'm done with it and ready to go."

"Hold it," he told Michelle, "Ace is second in command of this team. If she tell you it's time to go you move your little butt, you got that?"

"Yes sir," she said and saluted smartly. Then she got that all too familiar wicked little grin of her lips, "And how long have you been studying my butt?"

"What... no... I...," he stammered as they headed down the right corridor.

Boomer tapped his arm and asked, "How come you don't say anything about my butt?"

Dan lowered his head, pinched the bridge of his nose and slowly counted to ten. He got to four before he said, "D.E.", who punched Boomer in the arm again.

"Ow!", Boomer rubbed his arm. "You said that was something you wouldn't do."

"I never said I couldn't pick up something from Ace. Now suit up," he said putting the helmet back on, "we got to make sure we cause a big enough distraction."

***  
Digitox saw them as they entered, but not through any computer screen. A while back he had a neural interface implanted in his head and used his "pet" to erase all evidence of it. He was connected to every sensor and system in this place, even Chatrox couldn't sneak up on him if he wanted too. Oh look, they were splitting up. He'll let them play the game this way for now. He walked over to the war suit he bought and patted it's arm. Digitox dispatched a group of droids to deal with the two who split off, he would handle the others.

***  
Where in the hell was the was the resistance? A complex this size should have guards coming out of the wood works. An automated defense system, a platoon of marines, a boy scout with a slingshot something. Dan checked around a corner, D-Colt in hand, still nothing. He was liking this less and less. Waving the others foreword he could tell by their body language that they felt the same. Rev went ahead to check out a door that was in front of them when his pad beeped. The probe was back in range, Dan programmed it to go down any open path. From the looks of things it would have done a complete circle if they stayed at the main entrance, and if this door was open.

Rev waited by the controls on one side of the door as he stood on the other. When D.E. and Boomer nodded that they were ready he signaled for Rev to open the door. With both of their D-Shooters out in front they entered the room. "Clear but plenty of hiding spots," D.E. called out as they entered. It looked like some kind of storage room or something, a big one at that.

"You know," Boomer whispered, "if I was gonna ambush some guys, this is where I'd do it." As soon as those words left his mouth side of the wall slide up. Thirty Anaroids, five Batsuroids and two Igadroids came out of hiding. They all retreated backwards but the door closed before they could reach it. The all dove for cover behind some computer crates.

"Boomer you are so lucky I can't reach you," D.E. snapped. Rev, who was closest to Boomer, smacked him on the back of the helmet. "You read my mind buddy."

"Why are they not firing?', Rev asked. In fact none of the fired a shot since they appeared. Dan chanced a quick look over the crate he was behind. All of the bots were standing in formation.

"Do you think they broke?", Boomer asked sounding desperate

"All of them?", D.E. asked him.

"A guy can hope can't he?" Then some heavy footsteps could be heard coming from behind the bots. "Oh that can't be good." The wall behind the bots slid up and a seven foot bluish gray metal suit came forward. All their eye were fixated on the Gatling gun on it's right arm. "That kinda looks like an Elemental from those MechWarrior games."

"Rev," D.E. called out, "tell me that's not a Vulcanian war suit."

"I will not lie to you Terry." D.E. started swearing.

"Vulcanian, like in those live long and prosper guys right?", Boomer was sounding desperate again.

"More like the Roman god of craftsmanship and destructive fire."

"I suppose now," Digitox said from inside the suit, "would be where I tell you my master plan. Quite simply it's this." The Gatling gun started spinning and a stream of fire ripped through some of the Anaroids and crates in front of him. The other bots and they hit the floor as he waved the gun around.

"At least he's a lousy shot," Boomer said.

"Too bad with that thing he doesn't have to be a good one," Dan told him.

***  
Ace and Michelle didn't run into any trouble until they hit the corridor leading to the target room. Ace turned the corner saw an Igadroid leading about ten Anaroids in front of the target door. "Ops5 to Ops1," Ace said into her License, "We got a bit of trouble." There was no answer. "Ops1, Cap! Damn it, I think they ran into their own welcoming committee." She looked at Michelle, "Ready to get in on the fun?" Michelle pulled out her License and nodded. "Right, change standby. Emergency! Dekaops!"

Ace was surrounded by a pink digital field as the DekaMetal formed around her in a flash of light. It changed into a black body suit in a burst. A dark pink strip went down her body from her shoulder to the top of her boots. On the left side of her chest the black and pink formed an outline for the number five. A backpack solidified on her back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", DekaMetal flashed around her head forming a dark pink helmet.

Michelle held her License across her chest, "Emergency!", she thrust it foreword hitting the button on top, "DekaData!"

Michelle was surrounded by a white digital field as the Dekametal formed around her in a flash of light. In a burst it formed a black and white version of the DekaSwan suit. A backpack with two cylinders on both sides appeared on her back as a ten button keypad flashed on her left forearm. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed around her head forming a white helmet. Michelle held her left arm in front of her chest, "Officer of the information highway," she swung her left arm back and shot her right fist foreword, "DekaData!"

"Now!", Ace took her D-Shot in hand and quickly turned the corner firing as fast as she could. She managed to wing the Igadroid while taking out a couple of the Anaroids. A hail of return fire forced her back. She looked over to Michelle and realized didn't have any visible weapons. Ace mentally kicked herself, Cap would have noticed that sooner. She handed Michelle her D-Shooter, "Here."

"Not just yet," Michelle told her as she punched a five button code into the keypad on her arm. She clapped her hands as she went around the corner, knelt down and put both hands on the floor, "Electro charge!". A blue electric charge shot in front of her and covered the floor and walls. The Igadroid and Anaroids were covered and stopped moving. She looked up at Ace and said, "Let's go."

"Wasn't that a Tokukyou attack?" Ace asked in disbelief as she started at the frozen robots.

"Some what, I modified it slightly," she told her. Michelle grinned at Ace from behind the helmet, "Thanks to Commander Scorp we have access to a lot of cool stuff."

"How many times can you do that?"

"Well it's charging up again, but not many in one setting or I'll fry the system," she said as she worked on the door lock. "And I'm still tweaking it. I got hit a little with that one." She shook her hands as the door opened. "Oh... Ace, not to tell you how to do your job or anything, but the effect is similar to Boomer's flash grenade."

"Right," she said as she started firing her D-Shot from close range. Michelle went in and studied the set up in front of her. Punching in another code a keyboard detached itself from her pack. It swung around until it was in front of her. Michelle pulled out a cord and plugged it into one of the rooms ceiling high towers. A virtual computer screen flashed to life in her visor and she started running an encryption breaker.

"Come on, come on," she muttered before she finally broke the computer security system. A few moments later she was smiling again, "There's the little bugger."

His neural connection informed him the moment the break happened. They were better than he gave them credit for. Calmly he said, "We have a security problem in the main room."

"I'll handle it," one of the Igadroids said, glad to get away from this maniac. "Anaroids eleven through nineteen come with me."

"Where's that group heading?", D.E. asked from his hiding spot. Dan watched them head for the door. He remembered that the outer hallway was basically one path.

"Oh no", he whispered. "Light it up!" Boomer threw a flash grenade without hesitation. His intention was to order the other to concentrate fire on the group that was leaving. Of course in his haste he forgot the reason why he didn't order a flash grenade to begin with. Digitox was blinded as well and started firing wildly with the Gatling gun. They hit the floor again as he ripped threw a good chunk of his own forces.

"You bastards," Digitox said as his vision cleared and saw what he had done. "Do you know how much these things cost me?!"

Dan wasn't paying any attention, he was silently cussing himself out. He had to be smarter than this, trust Ace to do her job. Especially since it looked like the unit leaving wasn't affected. "Cap," Boomer called out, "now would be a good time for a plan B!"

"I'm working on it!" As soon as he could get his head straight that is.

"We are worried about Michelle too," Rev said to him. God, was he being that obvious?

"Will that thing run out of ammo?"

"Judging by the holes in the walls I don't think it firing laser," D.E. said, "so I think so."

"Then let's find out for sure. Rev, move when I move. D.E. Boomer wait until I give the signal." He looked over to Rev who nodded. They came out of hiding and started firing.

***  
Ace stood in the doorway watching both ends of the corridor. They still haven't heard from Cap and the others. She looked over her shoulder at Michelle who was still working on the virus, "How much longer?" She didn't say a word but kept working as she concentrated. Footsteps could be heard coming their way, a lot of them from the sound of things. Now it was time to book," Michelle we got to go now."

"I need a little more time."

"I don't think we got a little more time."

Michelle's finger danced over her keyboard, "You find a way to get me that time and I'll tell you everything you want to know about me and Cap."

"There is something going on between…?" she was shocked. "No, Cap said we move when I say we move. I'm telling you we got to move now."

"Prepare to eliminate whoever is in there," a mechanical voice said.

Michelle unplugged herself from the tower, "Done."

"It took you long enough to fix that virus."

"I got that done a few moments ago."

"Then what was..."

"Thought I leave a little surprise of my own while I was in there." Ace offered he D-Shooter again, Michelle took it this time. "Wanna save the boys butts?"

"Oh yeah, Boomer gonna love that." On Ace command they both went into the corridor firing at will.

***  
D.E. fired away with his and Boomer's D-Shooter in hand as he dove behind a crate and Boomer slid as Digitox let a few rounds fly. Then Dan and Rev moved again. He had his D-Colt on multishot and fired at the war suit while Rev took a shot at one of the remaining bots. Digitox changed his aim toward them and they went for cover. The plan was working so far but the Trinoblean was only fire in short burst to conserve his ammo. At this point it was a guess on what was going to give out first, his ammo or their luck. D.E. and Boomer moved again as Ace came out of nowhere and took out the last Igadroid. She turned to face the war suit as Michelle vaulted over, putting her hands on it's shoulders, "Electro charge!" Digitox screamed as his systems started shorting out. Ace, with glowing D-Rod in hand, sliced through the Gatling gun.

"NO! You two are still in the main room!", He yelled. Why wasn't his connection telling him of any change? Nobody was where they were supposed to be.

"I put your security systems in a loop, I'm surprised you didn't notice before now," Michelle told him and the other joined her. "You guys all right?"

"Yeah," Dan said. Time to take this guy down. He held his D-Colt next to his head, "Ops1!"

D.E. twirled both D-Shooters before crossing his arms in front of his chest, "Ops2!"

Rev took a fighting stance," Ops3!"

Boomer pumped the grip on his D-Shot, "Ops4!"

Ace brought her D-Shot to her right, "Ops5!"

Michelle did her pose again, "DekaData!"

"Special Police!" The lights on their helmets flashed and they shouted, "DekaOps!"

"Cap," Michelle said, "I'll take care of Digitox, you take care of the remaining bots."

"You sure?"

"Ace can cover me." Dan gave the order and left her to the job. Digitox stumbled backwards as he tried to regain control of the suits systems. She pulled out her License and shouted, "Target orders!" The area went dark as a red X and a blue circle flashed in front of Digitox. After it scanned him for a minute the red X shined brightly before him. "Eliminate target." She replaced her License and hit another code, "Data cannon!". The cylinder on her back back flipped up and over until the ends were pointing foreword on her shoulder and the barrels extended. She braced herself as she reached for the barrels and hit the triggers, "Data blast!" There was a slight energy build up before two two green streams fired out. Digitox was hit and deleted in moments. Michelle gave the thumbs down, "Got you."

They were finished with the remaining bots and Dan walked over to her, "Impressive."

"Why thank you."

"Is there anything else you can do that I need to know about?"

"Do you want me to show you in my quarters or yours?" she said and walked off a bit. Dan was at a loss for words again, but he did point a finger at Boomer when it looked like he was going to say something. "Ace, can you give me hand back at the control room? I found out why it looked like the virus was sent from an SPD source and I imagine command will want it back."

***

A few days later Dan was in the gym tightening the strap on his padded gloves. He was going to do this earlier, but a small trip to Russia made him put it off. Now that all the units were at Defcon 3 he had time to do this while they waited. He turned around and faced Michelle, who still looked dubious about the whole thing. "Why are we doing this again?"

"Because anybody can fire a gun. If you're going to go out in the field I need to know how you handle yourself one on one. I did this with others when I first got here."

"Even Rev?", she laughed.

Dan shrugged his shoulders, "After I spent twenty minutes explain that I wasn't mad at him or punishing him for anything." He got in a loose fighting stance, "Remember, no actual contact. The gloves are on just in case."

Michelle made a bell ringing motion in the air, "Ding, ding." They started circling each other. Dan threw a couple of punches to test her defenses. Then she started in with a combo he was barely dodging and a roundhouse kick made him fall on his butt trying to get out of the way. She stood over him, "Did I mention that my cousin was an amateur kick boxer? He taught me a lot, like how to know when somebody holding back on you."

"All right," Dan said as he got up, "have it your way."

"So is this your idea of foreplay then?", she asked with a grin. Dan grabbed her buy the arms and looked serious. "Or is this it?"

"Michelle I don't mix my professional and private lives."

"You said no actual contact too, but you're breaking that." He let go and back away. She was wonder what the hell changed. "Cap I thought you were interested in me. If I read the situation wrong tell me now and I'll stop wasting both our time."

"No, I'm interested but...," he trailed off.

"What, are you afraid I'm going to rob some place and make you choose between me and your job?"

"It's not that."

"Than what is it? You were normal until the mission."

"Michelle," he looked her in the eyes, "every time we go on a mission I have to keep in mind that there's a possibility that one of us might not be coming back. I froze when I thought that might be you. And I made a stupid call because of it."

She grabbed his face between her hands, "Hey, I knew the job was dangerous when I took it, we all did. I'm not asking for any special treatment. Hell I'm not even going to be a regular fixture on the team, I'm special situation only. Besides if I ever find out you went out of your way to protect me out there I'll kick your ass myself, you got that soldier?" and she patted him on the cheek

Dan smiled, "Yes ma'am."

"I'm just looking for a guy to have some fun with Cap. I haven't looked for that since my husband died in that car crash. Right now I really want that guy to be you."

"I want to be that guy too. But things would go a little easier if you were a little more serious out in the field."

"I'll try Cap, but I'm not making any promises."

He took her by the shoulders, "Michelle, could you just call me Dan."

"How about I just call you Cap when we're around the others?", she asked as she got closer.

Dan gave her a half smile, "I can live with that," and their lips met.

"Aw, look they're kissing," D.E. said from the doorway. Both he and Boomer were grinning like idiots.

"How long have you two perverts been standing there?", Dan demanded.

D.E. stood a little straighter as he faced Boomer, crossed him arms and deepened his voice slightly, "Michelle, could you just call me Dan."

Boomer tilted his head and clasp his hands in front of him. Lightening his voice he said, "How about I just call you Cap when we're around the others," He batted his eyes before adding, "Or when we're alone and you do something really, really good." Michelle made a little shocked noise as her jaw dropped in disbelief. Dan put a hand on her shoulder.

"Get out of here before I change my mind and kill the two of you."

They walked off singing, "Cap and Michelle, sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G..."

"So much for trying to keep this quiet for a bit," Michelle eventually said. "I would have just killed them, but that's just me."

"Paperwork would have been a bitch," he replied. "What's the most disgusting, degrading, dirtiest job we have around here?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm going to assign them to it for a month."

Michelle started smiling, "I'll make something up. Now, do you want to try to get in round two?", she held up her fist.

"I'm game if you are." They started circling each other again.


	11. Chapter 11

Special Police DekaOps

10

An old warehouse somewhere in Germany, a makeshift arena was built inside and the crowd was buzzing about what they have seen so far. A blue skinned woman in a red bikini strutted around the outside of a six sided cage holding a sign over her head with the number four written in various languages. Inside the cage trainers were talking to their respected fighters. On one side a green lizard-sejin was calmly staring at the back of his opponent as he listen to the instruction grunted at him.

His opponent, on the other hand, was leaning on the cage trying to get his breath back. His blond hair was matted against his head and the eagle tattoo on his back was glistening from the sweat. "Ya did good kid," His trainer told. The only thing that kept him from looking human was his purple eyes and the horn growing out of his head. "That last round was a fluke, that's all. Keep your guard up and keep moving, fer God's sakes keep moving. He'll give you that opening," The human nodded his head. "Remember kid eye of the tiger."

"Combatants!", the ox looking ref called out. "Next round!"

"Go get 'em kid!" The human walked away and they exited the cage. The trainer looked at his assistant and went, "He's gonna get killed this round."

"Combatants ready!", the ref held up a hand. Both competitors slammed their fist together, sparks flew and the crowd roared in approval as they activated the bands around their fist. The ref brought his hand down, "Do it!"

The lizard came in fast and grazed the human with a right cross he tried to avoid. The blow he hardly felt, the charge from the band spun him around and knocked him to the mat. The ref started to count to ten as the human quickly tried to get his sense back. He got to his feet and slammed his fist together again. "Come on kid! Be smarter than that!", his trainer shouted. The lizard came in again but the human dropped and aimed a leg sweep at the back of it's knee. The alien fell hard and the human got on trying to grab an arm. He was knocked back by an elbow smash and the lizard slid out from under him. He backed up until his foot touched the edge of the cage. "Don't back up! That's what he wants ya to do!"

He ducked a straight right that hit the cage and made sparks fly. The human hit a quick left jab to the ribs and a right uppercut under it's chin that staggered it. He turned around, jumped up as he grabbed the cage and climbed up half way. His opponent cleared the cobwebs from his head as he spun toward him as he leaped off and planted both feet into it's chest as they crashed into the mat. The human rolled backwards from the fall as the lizard got to it's knees sucking air. He jumped on top of the alien back locking in a rear naked choke. The lizard still tried to get to it's feet but he wrapped his legs around his waist and started squeezing. The lizard dropped back down to a knee then slapped it's hand on the mat three times. "He tapped," the ref called out, "fight's over!"

The crowd erupted as the trainers rushed into the ring. The human rolled off his opponent as his trainers picked him up. "I knew ya could do it, never a doubt in my head."

"What a fight ladies and gentlemen," A red blob of an announcer said as he walked to the center of the cage. "Didn't I tell you this would be one to remember? Give it up for both or competitors," he started clapping and the crowd soon followed. "But there can only be one winner, by tap out and approving his record to three and one," he went to the human and raised his hand, "the American Eagle Daaaaaniel Steeeeevens! Stevens!" The crowd started chanting his name.

***

After the organization "doctors" gave him a clean bill of health he grabbed his winnings and headed for the hotel all the fighters were staying at. It was barely rated a star, but it wasn't drafty and it didn't leak. And more importantly it had a bar. He was the last one there, as usual, several of the patrons inside gave him a good fight or a thumbs up. A few sneered or gave him a dirty look. He stopped paying attention to those back on Nagaus 7 and took an empty stool at the bar

"Where did you learn that stomp move," a bear like alien at the table behind him asked. "I've only seen a Zalmanian do anything like that."

And he was going to have to remember to thank a certain Zalmanian for showing it to him, "Just popped in my head."

"You should thank whatever deity you believe in you still have a head," he opponent stormed up to him. "You are extremely lucky, even for a human."

"Well," Dan started as he faced him, "to quote former Governor of Minnesota Jesse Ventura, sometimes it better to be lucky than good. But right now I'm more interested in another saying you guys have around here."

The guys at the table behind him started laughing, "Winner plays, loser pays!"

The lizard slammed his hand on the bar. A squid-sejin wearing a multiarm shirt walked up, "Yeah, what do you want?"

"Give the human a glass of his usual.... on me."

"Mickey," Dan said quickly, "change it to a bottle of the good stuff since he's paying."

"You got it Danny," Mickey chuckled.

"I hope you choke on it human," the lizard sneered.

"If anybody knows anything about choking...," the bear said loud enough for him to hear and the group laughed again.

The lizard growled at them and stormed off. "Thanks for the beer," Dan called out as Mickey put down his glass. "Ugh," he said after he took a drink, "I'm glad I didn't pay for this."

"You wouldn't know the good stuff if it bit you on the ass," the squid told him.

"It would help if you were born with taste buds to begin with."

"Go to hell Danny."

"Like you too Mick," he grinned.

"Excuse me," a female voice said. Dan turned around and saw an Asian woman with pink highlights in her hair and wearing a very tight blue dress standing behind him.

"Oh my goodness." Dan put down his drink, "Well hello and I hope I can help you."

"I saw your last fight earlier," she said, "And I just had to say that you're like totally awesome."

"Why thank you. It's always nice to meet a fan, especially when they look like you."

She giggled a bit then turned around bearing part of her shoulder. A small eagle tattoo was there. "I got this after your third fight last week, but it's only temporary." She lowered her head a bit and acted all shy like, "I was hoping could help me think of a reason to make it permanent."

Dan looked her over, "I think I might be able to come up with a couple of reasons." He went to take another drink of his beer, remembered the taste and put it back down. "Mick, tell somebody with no taste that this is their lucky day."

"Yeah, yeah," Mickey said he took the glass. Dan let her drag him off the stool. Nobody saw Mickey change glasses and dump Dan's in the garbage.

"Danny!' the bear shouted out. "Women weaken the knees!"

"I got no plans on standing up," he told them. That got a few shout out as they left. She latched onto his arm as they made their way upstairs. They reached her hotel room in minutes and she let him in. When she closed the door Dan eyes glazed over and he fell to the floor.

"Cap!", Ace shouted then started pounding on the door leading to the room next door. "Rev I need you in here now!" The door flew open as Rev and D.E quickly went to Dan side.

"What happened?", Boomer asked from the doorway.

"I don't know, he just fell." Rev and D.E. picked him up and placed him on the bed. Ace quickly went into command mode as Rev started scanning him, "D.E. head out into the hallway and make sure nobody followed us."

"You got it," he stuffed an SP-Shooter into his pocket and went out his room's door.

"Boomer contact OpsBase and let them know what happened." He nodded. "Rev," he was busy drawing a quick blood sample and ran it through the scanner "Keep doing what you're doing.

Rev put a hypospray to his neck and injected him with something. After a few minutes he started groaning and moving a little, she was at his side a moment later. "Ugh... did the floor just hit me?", he asked sounding very groggy and holding his head.

"Something like that Cap," she told him, very relived.

"Good, because it was either that or somebody dropped DekaBase on my head." He started to sit up but got very dizzy, "Oh, that was a bad idea," he said as he lay back down.

"I would advise you stay in this position for a bit longer Captain," Rev said running the scanner over him again. "You are still feeling the effects."

"I guess I hit harder in that last fight than I thought."

"What were we telling you earlier? Duck and move, duck and move," Ace joked as she bobbed her head up and down.

"Don't, it hurts when I laugh."

"Unfortunately the fight didn't put him in this position," Rev told them. "He was poisoned."

"It had had to be one of the guys from the fight," Ace said. "They were the only ones close enough to do anything."

"No, this particular poison only activates when it comes into contact with the acids normally found in the stomach. The Captain had to ingest it."

"Then it couldn't have been at that shack of an arena," Dan said sounding a little stronger. "Everybody was drinking and eating the same stuff. And I only had that beer after the fight." He stared at the ceiling, "Mickey slipped me a mickey." He chuckled, "I must be light headed, that was almost funny."

"Fortunately there was only a small amount in your system," Rev told him. "A higher amount and I doubt you would have made it this far."

"Now I'm really glad I ordered the good stuff."

Ace got off the bed, "Boomer should be still be in contact with OpsBase. I'll give him the update so he can tell them."

"God, Michelle's going to kill me when I get back."

"I'll guard you Cap, you got nothing to worry about." He gave her a weak thumbs up.

"I'll have you on your feet and out of here in ten minutes Captain," Rev said while monitoring his vitals.

Dan covered his eyes, "Could you stretch that out by another ten minutes or so? I got a rep to maintain." Neither of them saw Ace start blushing as that thought ran through her head.

***

Back at OpsBase the Major and Michelle listen as Ace gave them the updated report. Silent op would have been observed but this was a long term undercover mission. Outside of the poisoning the mission was going according to plan. "Where's Cap now Ace?", the Major asked.

"Training for his fight next week. He got word to us that nobody looked surprised to see him there. Cap said he talked to everybody he remembered seeing at the bar last night and nobody was acting strange. Or as he put it stranger than usual."

The Major smiled, "At least he didn't go after his Mickey person." Ace hesitated before answering and he stopped smiling. "Don't tell me he went after him."

"He waited a few hours before he did," Ace said. "I had D.E. tail him just in case. Cap just scared the squid silly."

"That would explain the report from DekaSquad's temporary CO," Michelle said. "She reported that a squid-sejin nearly ran them over saying a human he tried to poison threaten him."

"Do we know who put the squid up to it?"

"Cap said Mickey was more scared of whoever was behind it than he was of him," Ace answered.

"He didn't tell Squad either," Michelle added.

"Well Cap scheduled to meet up with Anna Konstantin in a few hours. Hopefully we'll learn something new then."

"We'll let you know at our next scheduled transmission, Ops5 out," and the link was cut.

"That idiot better not be pushing himself if he's still feeling the effect from that poison," Michelle said to herself.

"Cap got to keep up appearances," the Major said. "He can't let whomever behind this know that something wrong with him."

"I know, but they been undercover for over a month. He's had a fight a week and according to D.E. a couple of them been pretty brutal. Nobody knows who going up against who until they're actually in the ring. I'm not sure how much of this he can take."

"Rev taking good care of him. And I'm going to schedule him for some leave when he gets back to heal up. If he takes it that is."

"If he doesn't I'm calling in Hawaii." The Major wasn't sure what she meant by that. "I'll explain it later."

***

The park was pretty quiet for the time of day. Dan at on a bench in a pretty open area trying to get the smell of alien sweat out of his nose. Here he was thinking he would never have to deal with that particular smell again after Ops training. A person with a hooded jacket sat next to him. Neither of them said anything for a few minutes. Dan rested his arms on the back of the bench and flexed the fingers on his left hand. The person next to him finally said, "I hear the eagle wants to fly with the angels."

"Then Heaven better close it's gates," Dan replied looking straight ahead. "Miss. Konstantin."

"Ops1," she replied coolly. "I'm surprised you waited so long in contacting me again. And unprotected too, very sloppy."

"Who said I was unprotected. My second in command is at two o'clock." She glanced over and saw Ace in a gray jump suit and pink top look like she was warming up. "My comm. officer is at three." Boomer was in his Laker gear sitting against a tree with headphones on his ears bobbing his head. "My medic over there at ten." Rev had his green hoodie on as he studied a water fountain. "And my weapon expert is in sniper position."

"Don't you know where he is?"

"Told him to surprise me. And that better be you man watching us from the trees over there because I'm about five seconds away from giving the command to take him down." She looked over and saw Peter hiding behind a tree. "Three... two..."

"He's one of mine. Pierce never gave any indication you were like this."

"I don't like the idea of operating in a protected region. Too many variables to worry about."

"And I don't like the idea of your unit existing to begin with. If I didn't think one of my men would have been recognized I wouldn't have contacted Row about that Fire Squad project of his. To say I was confused when he suggested the Ops option doesn't even begin cover it."

"Obviously, if you brought him along."

"That wasn't planned. He must have overheard me when I made arrangements with your commander. Did you have to get rough with the suspect?", there was a bit of an edge in her voice.

"Despite the fact the 'suspect' tried to poison me I wasn't rough with him."

"You threaten to turn him into calamari!", she wasn't hiding the anger she was feeling. "No police officer would go that far, not a good one any way."

Dan smiled a little, just to piss her off, "I was in character, and in case you haven't heard I'm not police."

She sat there simmering, "There very little I have heard about you and your unit. I needed Row's help just to get in contact with Pierce."

"There's a reason why our information is commanders only. I'm surprised Row even told you about us."

"Well it's a little late to be having second thoughts about calling you in now. Have you heard anything useful?"

"Just stuff from the grapevine. Apparently somebody big is coming in for the next fight night. Word is it's the guy who organized and runs the entire thing."

"Good. There has been five reported death connected to this on this planet alone." She added, "And possibly one attempted murder. That we know of that is. Unfortunately there usually a couple of squads of Anaroids causing havoc on the same nights of the fights so we can't get close enough to check things out ourselves."

"Everybody so far is acting like those death go with the territory. Some of them have told me stories of people dying in the ring."

"I hope that rumor's true, if we take the boss down we can put a dent in this at least. Keep me informed."

"Will do." She got up and left. Dan did the same a few moments later. He stopped by Boomer saying, "You get all of that?"

Boomer kept bobbing his head, "Every word. That mic works like a charm."

Dan glanced at the watch on his left arm, "I could almost get use to this undercover stuff," and he continued walking.

***

Ace and the other meet up at a restaurant later. Cap couldn't join them and chance blowing his cover so he stayed at the hotel. Most of them ordered whatever looked familiar on the menu. Luckily Boomer remembered what "sample platter" was in German and got that for Rev. He sat there contently tasting everything that was before him. Ace smirked as she took a sip of her tea, outside of the mission Rev was having a blast. She put her glass down, "Are all Tokukyou as stiff as she looked?"

"I met one once," Rev said, "he did have an aura of... confidence about him."

"I'll take that as a yes."

"I dunno Ace," D.E. spoke up, "word is that Harris guy in Rescue is a kind of a nut."

Boomer added, "And Leon in Rail is a bit of a show off. Besides from what I hear they mellow out after awhile any way"

"Whatever, I'm just glad we don't have to deal with one on a regular basis."

"Never say never Ace," D.E. told her.

"Maybe," she started grinning, "it might be worth it to see Cap take him down a peg or two."

"If it took the heat off me," Boomer said, "I'll apply for one right now."

Ace looked right at him, "Boomer, you're always going to be a heat magnet."

"She speaks the truth buddy," D.E. laughed. Boomer shot him a dirty look.

"Hey," she pointed at him, "you're not much better, especially when you're around Boomer. Both of you are lucky the Major talked Cap out of putting of you two on sewage duty."

"That because he likes us," Boomer told her.

"No," she corrected him, "it was because he didn't want you two stinking up the place. And for the record, there no way in hell I let either of you aboard the Shepard smelling like crap too. I don't even want to know how long it would take me to air it out."

"Great to be loved ain't it?", D.E. said flatly to Boomer.

"I think Cap and Michelle are the experts in that department," Boomer said. He started grinning, "Hey, do you think she gonna lock Cap in her room when we get back?" Ace kicked him under the table. When he looked at her she pointed at D.E.

D.E. looked up from his plate, "What?"

***

A week went by quickly and Dan was back at the warehouse / arena. His trainer was giving him the usual prefight speech as he tapped up his wrists. Dan had heard it before in various forms for as long as he could remember he just tuned it out. So far there hasn't been any attempts on his life, but the mission wasn't over yet. He started tuning back when he realized the usual locker room buzz died down in a hurry, even his trainer stopped talking. Dan looked around and saw everybody staring at the door.

"Don't mind us," an Igadroid said, "just making sure you guys are in top condition." He raised an eyebrow, this was new. The bot stood aside and let a green skin alien with pointed ears and a black suit strut in. This was new too. Everybody else in the room was suddenly very still. "He's over there," The Igadroid pointed right at him.

"Oh geez," his trainer mumbled, "keep yer nose clean kid."

"Zax?", the green guy said as he came up to them. "They still let you do this? I'm surprised one of your losers hasn't put you down yet."

"I don't coach loser," then he added, "sir."

"Even the poorest coach can get a lucky find every now and again." He stared Dan in the eye and he started right back. "So you're this amazing human I keep hearing about. Vance McMayhem, owner and originator of this spectacle. I came to this mud ball to see you in action personally. Who knows, if you impress me I might, might help you along to bigger and better things. If you impress me."

"I'm thrilled," he replied without any enthusiasm

"Don't mind 'im boss," his trainer stepped in. "My boy here fights to win just like everybody else here."

"Good to hear." He got in a little closer and spoke a little lower, "But I find it better to know when to fight to lose. If you get my meaning."

"Ya want 'im to throw the fight?", Zax whispered. "Ya lousy son of a...", he was cut when the Igadroid brought up it's cross blade. He stared at it and gulped.

"No wonder you never made it past the local circuit Zax. You never let go of those outdated morals of yours." His trainer stood there steaming. "The choice is yours of course human. I'm just sure how long you'll be able to fight if you make the wrong one. Good luck tonight," he sneered. After he left the entire locker room was staring at them.

"Take a vid!," he's trainer yelled at them. "It'll slaggin' last longer."

Dan put a hand on his shoulder, "Cool down a little bit coach. I need you to have a clear head when I'm in the cage tonight. Nobody knows who's fighting who as usual."

"Yeah yer right kid," he took a couple of deep breaths. "So kid, what are ya gonna do?"

"You know us human ain't that smart."

Zax started looking very sad, "Nice knowing ya kid. Well, at least yer gonna go out fighting. Now warm up kid," he slapped him on the chest, "ya got a fight coming up."

"Sure thing coach." Dan took his bag into a corner. He noticed that everyone was doing everything they could not to look at him, that made this a little easier. He put the bag down and removed a MP3 player, while making sure his watch was still near the top. As he put the ear bud in a pressed down a small bump behind his ear. A small receiver that Rev implanted before the mission. "Please tell me you heard that?", he whispered.

"We got every word Cap," Boomer told him. "We're getting ready to send what we got to Squad now. See you soon." Cap removed his finger and started throwing punches at his shadow. He started thinking about what was going to happen to Zax. The old man was ornery but he was a basically a good guy. And Dan started liking the old guy over the past month. He really wished he had his License right about now.

***

A human with any kind of winning record was a rare thing in this thing. It was also a huge draw so they saved his fight for last. The announcer was already in the middle of the cage, mic in hand. "Has tonight delivered or what folks?" The crowd roared their approval. "Well it's not over yet and we got one more fight for you tonight. Introducing first, at a record of three and one, the American Eagle Daaaaaniel Steeeeeven! Stevens!" A spot light hit the entrance way as some generic patriotic sounding music started playing. Zax led him out and a good part of the crowd was already chanting his name. He got in the cage and raised a hand to acknowledge the crowd.

"And as a special treat for all you fine folk tonight. His opponent, coming in at a record of thirty six and zero. Your Intergalactic Fight Federation champion. The Asteroid Smasher himself. Laaaaaaan Geeeeettor! Gettor!" The crowd nearly blew the roof off the place as his opponent entered. Zax cursed out loud as some alien sounding music started playing and a huge rocky Kordain walked foreword. It snorted smoke out from it's snout as the crowd by the walk way took a step back. Dan glanced around the arena, where in the hell was DekaSquad? Then he remembered Konstantin say they had an Anaroid problem every time they had one of these fights. He found McMayhem sitting in the front row just smiling, looks like Squad might be real busy tonight if the boss was here.

The ox ref stood in the center of the ring with it's hand raised, "Combatants ready?" They slammed their fist together. Dan bands didn't spark. He did it a couple of more time, nothing.

"Shit," Dan spit out

"Hey," Zax shouted out, "we got a equipment failure here!" Dan saw the ox's eyes look over at McMayhem, who was slowly shaking his head. Zax saw it too, "They're gonna kill 'im."

"Go!", the ref brought his hand down and the bell rang. Dan quickly got the bands off his hands, the piece of crap were useless anyway."

Ace saw what was happening and made her way to the exit. The operation just went south and according to radio Squad was in several different spots in the city fighting off Anaroids as they popped up. She tapped the jewel on her bracelet twice, time to start plan B.

The Kordian kept throwing hammer like blows as he got out of the way. The thing had a good foot on him and it looked like it spent a lot of time in the weight room. But this wasn't the first time he seen one of these things. There was one in the group back on Nagaus 7. He watched a sparring match between one and a tiger-sejin he made friends with. Hopefully this one will be dumb enough to fall for the same thing. The Kordain threw a straight right at his head. As he stepped out of the way he grabbed it's wrist and jumped. He wrapped his leg around it's shoulder, the added weight and it's momentum let Dan flip him to the mat as it lost it's balance. Dan pulled back on the arm with everything he had, even arching his body to get more leverage. His opponent had no choice but to slap the mat three times.

"He tapped," the ref blurted as the crowd went nuts. Dan let go and climbed and jumped over the top of the cage. He looked at the crowd, McMayhem and his Igadroid was already gone.

"Kid do ya know what ya did?!", Zax yelled at him

"Yeah, that's why we got to run."

"Screw that, yer the champ!" Dan had to drag him out of there. They went past the locker room and headed for the exit. A blast at the floor in front of him stopped them in their tracks. McMayhem and his bodyguard stepped forward blocking the path.

"You know," McMayhem said, "I really hate idiots. Particularly those who can't do what I tell them too." He pulled out a blaster and shot Zax's assistant right between the eyes. "I told him to get rid of you himself, not to have that incompetent squid do it." Dan pushed Zax behind him. "No offense kid, but I find human are bad for business. They're usually way too curious than they need to be." He waved his hand and two Batsuroids came forward. "Take care of the others boys."

"Not so fast!", Ace said as she and Rev hit the Batsuroids with their D-Shooters.

"SPD!", McMayhem said as he backed up and ran.

"Cap Catch!", she tossed him a black and white License. He caught it and spun toward the Igadroid.

"Emergency! DekaOps!" The Igadroid threw a grenade down and ten Anaroids formed. Dan got Zax to safety as he looked behind them out the door. McMayhem jumped in a car and sped off. Dan yelled into his License, "We got a runner!"

"We're on it," D.E. said. He and Boomer came out of hiding on the Hounds and gave chase.

"We need more Anaroids!", the announcer cried running their way. "DekaSquad just showed up." Then he saw Dan and the others, "Oh slag." He jumped for cover by Zax as the firing started.

"Get that over grown tin can going," McMayhem screamed into the comm. monitor in his car. "I don't want those Deka freaks following me!"

"You got it boss," another Igadroid said. "Kicker will launch now."

"Your damn right it's going to launch now." He punched it off and looked into this rear view mirror. Two black and white motorcycles were following him, ridden by Deka. He speeded up but they were keeping pace, no they were gaining. Every time he tried to turn off the road they fired to keep him on his path. He should have stayed on the main road and not take the back route. The black and blue shot ahead suddenly broke off and shot ahead of his car. He looked back before hitting a button in the bike. A metal spike shot out from under the Deka's seat and hit the grill of his car. An electrical charge shorted out his engine. The blue one went ahead, turned came back and stop in front of him. McMayhem got out and pointed his blaster at him. "You son of a bitch.

"You might want to rethink that," Boomer said behind him pointing his D-Shooter at him. It was just enough of a distraction for D.E. to draw and shoot the blaster from his hand.

"You can't do this to me! I'm Vance McMayhem dammit!"

"You think that matter to us?" D.E. got off the Hound and switched his License to Judge, "Target orders!". The area went dark as a red X and a blue circle started flashing before him. A minute later the red X shined brightly, "Eliminate target." He locked his License into his D-Shot and pulled back the grip. "Strikeout!" a blue stream of energy shot out and vaporized McMayhem. D.E. slung the D-Shot across his shoulder, "Got ya."

Boomer pulled the spike out of the car and tossed it to him, "Do you think we should do something about the car?"

D.E. thought it over, "I'll check for any surprises, if it's clean we'll leave it for the locals."

The fight with the bots was over before the witnesses knew it. Dan and the others just fired away since anybody organic was behind them. Short and to the point, besides they were in a rush since the Squad was here. They turned around and saw the other cowering there. Well, not Zax he was staring at Dan, "Kid, yer SPD?"

"Sorry coach."

"Well at least I can say for a few moments that I coached a champion. Go ahead, judge me, delete me whatever the hell ya do."

Dan walked up to him and went, "You coached the guy who beat the champion, that's it."

Zax shook his head, "League rules kid, the champ fights in the cage the title automatically on the line."

"Then you coached the guy who never lost the title," he said as he slapped the D-Whoppers around his wrist. "Do yourself a favor and tell them everything you know about this thing. It's the best I can do for you under the circumstances."

"Thanks Champ."

"Anytime coach." He backed away and turned to Ace and Rev, who were bust cuffing the rest. "We got to move. Squad going to wonder why these guys are tied up as it is."

"We're done here Cap," Ace said. "You grab your gear back at the hotel. We'll meet you at the rendezvous point."

"Right," Dan nodded and let them go first. He turned around to make sure there wasn't going to be any surprises coming behind them and looked right at DekaFire. The two red started at each other for a moment. Not sure what else to do, Dan raised two finger to his helmet and gave him a mini salute before heading out. DekaBurst came down the hallway and looked at the door DekaFire was staring at.

"I just saw another Deka Unit," he said in disbelief.

She told him, "Forget you saw them."

"But I've never seen them before."

"I'll explain later if I can but for right now forget you ever saw them. We got a report of a Monster Mech wreaking the place. You and the others need to get the DekaSquadRobo out there and take it down."

"Rodger," DekaFire took one more look at the door and ran for the others. DekaBurst sighed, a nice spot for Pierce's people to leave her in.

***

The Machine Shepard as hidden in a clearing outside of town. They watched from a distance as the DekaSquadRobo took on a kick boxer type of Monster Mech. It took a while but the Squad took it down. Boomer stood there whining, "Dude, I want a robot."

Dan didn't even look at him, "Want in one hand and crap in the other. See which one gets fuller faster."

"Why don't you make one of those unauthorized call to you fiancé and tell her your coming home," Ace said as she was checking the Shepard's engines.

"I have not made any unauthorized transmission," Boomer protested. Then he tried to act like he wasn't glancing at his watch. "If you will excuse me, I need to.... calibrate the communication array," and he ran into the ship.

"Go easy on him Cap," D.E. said, "he's in love after all." Dan put his hands in his pockets and said nothing. D.E just stared at him, "Cap, you didn't"

"Just to let her know I was still I one piece. And it's my prerogative as field leader to check in sooner than scheduled."

"Sure Cap, sure," he said. Then D.E. started singing," Cap and Michelle..."

"I can talk the Major into letting me put you back on sewage duty," Dan shot a look at him.

"Ahem," Anna coughed, she was carrying his bag. "Sorry we were late. This operation had more Anaroids than they knew what to do with it seems. And one of the participants we have in custody is willing to talk. His only condition was that I find away to get this bag back to the, and I quote, only human champ in league history?"

Dan took the bag from her, "Everything will be in the report. I'm sure Pierce will get you a copy of it."

"I'm sure he will, but you left me with a situation. None of my people were supposed to see you."

"And I apologize for that, but I've been in too many operations to know that things don't always go according to plan. Tell him what you think you need to. If you want to tell him everything, fine. If you want, lie and say you're not authorized to explain things at the moment."

"I don't think that one is far from the truth. Winggons file on your unit was locked up pretty tight."

"How is she doing anyway?"

"No change," she looked down, "but we're hopeful."

"We can stay a little longer if you want. My medic been trained to be a healer his entire life."

"I appreciate the offer, but I doubt one more doctor will wake her up any faster. I better get back before the other start wondering where I am."

"Right, glad to work with you," she nodded and walked back into the trees. They entered the Shepard and took their seats, Dan leaned back and buckled up, "Status."

"The area is clear," Rev said.

"Radar says the skies are wide open," D.E. announced

"Base has been contacted and will be expecting us," Boomer told him.

"Activate the stealth system and let's get this bird home," Dan said.

"Stealth activated," Ace replied after she started the engines, "setting course for home." The Shepard rose in the air before disappearing. A sudden gust of wind was the only indication of what direction they went.


	12. Chapter 12

Special Police DekaOps  
11

The Machine Shepard's engines roared as Ace and her team stood by. After several moments she looked through the cockpit window at the guy sitting in her seat and gave the signal to power down. Soon the engines died down and everyone removed their ear protection. Ace looked at the readings from the monitors as everyone else looked on. After a bit she looked at the others and said, "You guys just earned you're lunch hour."

"You're all heart boss," one of them said.

"We're not done yet," she informed them. "Get that diagnostic equipment unhooked from the Shepard and you can take that lunch. Don't just stand there, get on it," she ordered and they jumped to the task. She turned around to see Michelle hanging around near the back. She walked up to her, "Hey Michelle, what's up?"

"I thought you could use a coffee break or something."

"After we're done here." She turned her head slightly to look at the group behind her. "Somebody has to be here to make sure they don't slack off first," she said loud enough for the others to hear.

"And Cap was worried that you were going to turn into him. Obviously he's never seen you run things down here."

Ace raised an eyebrow, "And what is that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing o second in command," Michelle smirked at her.

"This from the woman sleeping with the field leader."

Michelle quickly lost the smirk, "We are not sleeping together. Me and Cap are just having some fun."

"So you are sleeping together then," she teased. "Besides, I hear Cap wants you to call him Dan."

Michelle put a hand on a nearby workbench and leaned against it, "You're starting to sound like Boomer."

"OK, I'll stop now. And that was hitting below the belt," she tried to look hurt but both of them started chuckling.

"So what minor imperfection are you trying repair now?", she gestured toward the Shepard.

"The starboard engine started losing power on the last test flight. It took us a couple of days to narrow down the problem, but we got it fixed." Ace leaned back on the bench and looked at the black and white jet. "That engine been giving us trouble ever since we got back from Germany. Now if the Major would get the ball rolling on those parts I wanted I can upgrade the engines and we wouldn't have to worry about this."

Her best friend started smirking again, "You might want to talk to him about those request forms before he starts sneaking them into the daily reports Cap goes over."

"You're kidding. I was wondering why he was giving me that strange look a couple of weeks ago when I passed him in the corridors."

"Sounds about right, that's when he started doing it. I think he's getting Cap back for some of those stories he told me."

Right then Cap's voice came over the base's intercom, "Field team to the command room, we got a incoming transmission from the Major."

Ace looked Michelle, "I thought he was at that monthly meeting between the unit commanders."

"He is," Michelle answered as they headed for the door. "It must be important if he's calling in."

Ace started smiling, "Maybe you and Cap can get some 'fun' in before we got to leave." Michelle slapped her on the arm.

***  
The team assembled in the Command Room in practically no time, Michelle and Ace being the last ones to arrive. Michelle took her spot at the center table and the lined up in their usual spots. The main screen came to life as the Major's image looked at them, "Good, you're all here. As you probably gathered there's a mission involved in this call."

"What are we looking at Major?", Dan asked.

"Something a little different this time around," he told them. "There been several cases across the globe of a variation of the Alienizer drug mega-gestrine being trafficked. Normally we wouldn't get involved in something like this, but I made a exception in this case. According to police reports the human dealers that would talk after they were arrested revealed that they received their shipments from this person," A green gorilla looking alien in a business suit appeared on one of the screen next to him. "This is Sparky McGillia, and he has a drug trafficking record as long as my arm. He specializes in altering a drug's chemical makeup just enough to get it pasts any sensors sweeps. Then he changes it again to get the maximum effect in whatever species he happens to be dealing with at the time."

"I'm assuming his safety standards are relatively low?", Rev asked.

"Rumor has it he manufactures his variants on board his own ship, and with whatever local substances he can get his hands one. From what I hear, McGillia's not the tidiest of individuals. Several hundred death galaxy wide has been marked down to his variants."

"I don't think any of us is going to object to taking this small fish down," Dan said. The other nodded in agreement.

The Major smiled proudly, "I thought you guys would feel that way."

"So where are we headed?"

"Arizona, much like with Gremlin and Hawaii he's been spotted in several spots of the state. DekaRail was going to take this one, but considering the size of the state I volunteered or services. Sort of a good will gesture toward the other units if you will."

"Fine, just tell Kodiak to make sure his unit stays out of our way," Dan said. Again, the other agreed, more or less. Pierce sighed before making sure nobody was listening in on his end.

"I realize we're a covert unit, but eventually you guys are going to have to work with the other units. Nicely I might add."

"We'll worry about it when it happens," Ace said. The Major looked like he was ready to give up.

"I'm the one who has to deal with this," he muttered."You got a mission to do, so get on it." The connection cut out quickly.

"I think you guys are pushing things a bit," Michelle told them.

"We weren't even close to the pushing it point," Dan informed her. "Trust me I should know. But l like he said, we got a job to do. Civvies and basic equipment if we're going to be looking for this guy out in the open."

"You heard the man," Ace said, "let's get moving."

***  
Michelle shifted through the information they were sent, she and Dan decided Tucson would be a good starting point for the search. She also mentioned an Asian heritage fair was taking place, with the main attention being on Japan, China and Korea. Ace thoughts were along the lines of 'that's just great'. Boomer looked like he remembered something and looked at her, "Ace, aren't you Korean?"

"Only because of birth," she said softly. Boomer didn't hear her and thought he was being ignored so he turned back to his station. Rev, on the other hand, was staring at her. "I located the clearing Michelle told us about. I'm taking the Shepard down now." Michelle found a great spot, an old ravine with a lot of boulders around to block the view of passing glances. Still Dan ordered the stealth system on to be on the safe side. Fortunately they're hiding spot was in walking distance of the city. The ninety something degree weather, however, made it a little rougher than usual. By the time they made it to the city they were already busting out the water they brought with them.

Dan started flapping the collar of his shirt, trying to cool off. "Glad I decided to leave my jacket behind."

"I thought you army guys were suppose to be tougher than this," Ace joked as she took a drink from her bottle. "I mean the stories I heard about you from the Major..."

"Let me point out right now that my 'pushing it' point is a lot lower than his."

"If you haven't killed Boomer yet it can't be that low," Ace countered.

"Rev aren't you feeling this heat?", Boomer asked. The Zalmanian looked unaffected in his usual green hoodie.

"No, on Zalman this would be considered, as you would say, a cool summer day. So I am quite comfortable."

That thought made Boomer sweat even more, "I am never visiting your planet."

"Are you sure Robert? I am certain you would find the experience quite enlightening."

"Rev might have a future in the travel business," D.E joked. Just about everybody groaned at how bad it was. "Sorry, it's the heat."

"People, we got a job to do remember," Dan told them. "We'll cover more ground if we split up. Ace, Rev you're with me. D.E., Boomer," he looked at them for a moment before saying, "don't make me regret it."

Boomer looked hurt, "What have we ever done to make you regret anything?"

D.E. grabbed him by the shirt and dragged him off, "Let's go before he thinks of something."

"You are so gonna regret that," Ace said with a grin.

"Maybe, but I been wrong before. They headed that way so let's go this way," he pointed to his left. "Let's get going, I want to get this guy before Rail has a chance to spot him."

"Are we not working toward the same goal?", Rev ask. "That attitude seems counterproductive Captain."

"Unit pride and bragging rights Rev," he said. He looked toward Ace for a further explanation.

"We all might be SPD, but we're just individual units when you look at it. I can't speak for Cap, but I like to think we can kick the butts of any of the other units on the planet."

Rev slowly shook his head, "I still say it seems counterproductive to the overall goal.

"You might be right," she agreed, "but I'd bet that the other units feel that same way."

They walked a few blocks before Rev's scanner picked up some massive alien life signs. To Ace's dismay it lead them to the heritage fair Michelle told them about. Several aliens were mingling with the human population with no apparent trouble. "At least we'll fit in," Dan commented as they looked over the crowd of the outdoor expo. "Keep an eye out for McGillia." Ace crossed her arms and tried not to look too uncomfortable as they walked among the crowd. Dan noticed her behavior, "You alright Ace?"

"I'm fine," she answered quickly. "I just want to hurry up and catch this guy." Then get the hell out of here she added silently.

"Trish," Rev spoke up suddenly, "when did you have long hair?"

"What are you talking about? My hair never been past my shoulders." Rev was looking at board of pictures and pointing at a particular one. It featured a woman who looked almost exactly like her. Ace was dumbstruck, "Holy crap."

"Well, they say everybody got a twin," Dan said.

"Hello," an older woman said as she came up to them. "That picture you're looking is an old one from my good friend back in South Korea." She looked at the picture and started smiling sadly. Not looking at them she started talking. "She always had a happy smile, but it got a little sadder a few months after this picture was taken. Her family made her give up the baby she was carrying, a little girl. She wasn't the same after that for a long time. Even twenty years later I can hear a bit of that sadness return every so often."

"Can we go now please," Ace muttered as she fidgeted a bit. The old woman looked at her.

"I'd imagine the child would be around your age now." Then she started laughing. "I'm sorry for talking like that. She'd call me an old fool for telling other people about her past." She stopped talking as she took a good look at Ace. Her gaze went back to the picture than back to her. The surprise was evident on her face.

"We're not here to sight see," She blurted out while hurrying off.

"Ah..." Dan struggled as he wondered what the hell just happened, "sorry about that." He and Rev found her by a fountain. Ace stood there with her eyes closed, she jumped a bit when he put his hand on her shoulder. "Ace?", she wouldn't look at them. "Trish, what's wrong?"

"Nothing wrong," she told them. Then she went all business, "I think we should split up. With a crowd this size we can cover more ground that way."

Dan looked at his second in command. Slowly he nodded, "If none of us spot him in the next hour we meet back here."

"Right," she agreed and walked off.

"Is it wise to leave her alone at the moment," Rev asked.

"If I thought the problem was bigger than she was letting on I wouldn't have agreed to split. Besides Ace is a professional, whatever she's feeling she'll put it aside until the mission done." Dan went off in another direction and left Rev standing there.

Nodding to himself, Rev headed back to the stand and talk with the old woman some more while asking a few questions. Then he found a quiet spot as he spoke into his License, "Ops3 to base."

"Base here," Michelle answered sounding concerned. "Is anything wrong?"

"Everything is fine, but I have a rather unusual request. I need your assistance in locating someone."

***  
When Ace got back to the fountain Cap was already there sitting on it's edge. He was watching the crowd, the only indication he gave that he knew she was there was a single nod in her general direction. As she sat next to him he asked, "No sign of him?"

"No, but I did see what looked like a blue dog with scales. And dreadlocks."

Dan whistled, "Glad I didn't see that thing."

"Cap, about the way I spazed earlier. I wanted to..."

"Don't, it's already forgotten." He looked at her with a bit of concern, "Is there anything you want to talk about while we got a quiet moment?"

"Not while we're on a mission."

"Alright, but you know my door is always open if you do, right?"

"I know Cap." Rev walked up a moment later. "No luck either huh?"

"Not exactly Trish." He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to her. "But I did find out something that you might find useful." Ace and Dan looked at each other confused. What could she possibly find all that useful that didn't involve the mission. She glanced at the paper and froze at the words South Korea.

"What is this?", she demanded.

"It is the address of the woman in the picture. I thought you might want to get in contact with her."

"And why would I want to get in contact with this person?"

"If this person is you mother...," he started.

"I know who my mother is!", she snapped at him. "Her name is Mary Fieldman. My father is William Fieldman. This woman is nothing to me."

Rev was stunned at her reaction, "She might be the one who gave you life."

"That's all she ever did for me," she said angrily as she crumpled up the paper and stormed off.

"Good job Rev," Dan sighed.

"Trish," Rev started after her until Dan stopped him.

"It might be a good idea to give her a little more time alone," he offered.

"Captain I was only trying to be helpful."

"I know you were Rev. And I sure she does too. But remind me to give you the definition of the term 'hot button issue' one of these days. I'm just glad Boomer wasn't here to see this. He's been looking for something on her for awhile now."

***  
Ace walked away from the fair mentally kicking herself for going off like that. Rev didn't deserve to get yelled at like that, she would have to find away to make it up to him. But he doubted he understand the reason why she reacted that way. Ace put her hands in her pockets, that wasn't how a second in command was suppose to act. She looked up and saw what looked like a green monkey in a suit turn in an alley. Oh what a day she was having.

She hurried to the alley he turned in and peered around the corner, "Op5 to Ops1."

"Stevens here, go Ace," he answered after a moment.

"I might have spotted the target."

"Right, keep him under surveillance for now. I'll contact D.E. and Boomer and we'll hook up with you as fast as we can."

"Rodger, Ops5 out." Ace put her License away then wrapped her hand around the handle of her SP-Shooter just in case. Slowly she went down the alley, if this was McGillia he wasn't trying to hide himself. He turned a corner and Ace quickened her pace to keep him in sight. Peering around this corner he saw the ape walk up to a human who looking around nervously.

"Youse got my money?", the ape demanded.

"Ye..yes.. but,..." he stuttered.

"But what ya hairless ape?"

"Some of the regulars were too scared to buy. DekaRail's been seen all over the state and they were asking questions."

"Dat bunch of cadets!," he grabbed him by the front of the shirt and lifted him off the ground. "Why should anybody be scared of dem? I need to get rid of my current batch before some real cops get wind of me."

"But they took out an Agent."

"So? It's not like he was the only Agent in dis country." Ace filled that bit of info away. Command would want to know about another active Agent in operation. A cat landed by her and she jumped a little. McGillia saw her before she could hide back behind the corner. "Too bad for you girly." He reached into the bag he was carrying and pulled out what looked like a tommy gun. He pointed it in her direction and pulled the trigger. A volley of laser hit the brick by her as Ace dove for cover.

"So much for waiting for the other. Emergency! DekaOps!" A pink digital flash later and she was in her DekaSuit. She ran across the open to the other side firing away with her D-Shooter.

"SPD huh? Youse guys can't leave a business man alone can't ya."

"There's business then there's 'business'," Ace said before she fired into the alley. As he went for cover she saw him reach into his coat. It had to be a grenade. As McGillia came back into view Ace saw she was right and tried to shot it out of his hands. Too bad she wasn't D.E she thought as it flew from his hands. Five Batsuroids formed as it hit, "Oh shit."

"Show da girly a good time boys," McGillia sneered.

"Yes sir," one of them replied as they raised their weapons. Ace jumped out of the way as they fired. She rolled into view, came up with her D-Shot in hand and started firing away. Two went down before the other went for cover. Ace took cover herself as they returned fire. Ace fired back as she noticed Mcgillia hightailed it.

A shot by her head made her get behind the wall. How long was she going to be able to keep this up? "Hey!" a new voice caught her by surprise. Before she knew it D.E and Boomer were by her side.

"Where did you come from?"

"You're gonna have to talk to my momma and daddy about that one," D.E. joked.

"Laughs after the mission remember," Ace chided him as she fired into the alley again. "We got three Batsuroids to deal with at the moment."

"One each," Boomer said

"Sounds good to me," D.E. said as he drew his D-Shooter. "What's the plan?"

Any other day and she might have said something else. But right now she really needed to relieve some stress, "Full frontal assault, guns blazing."

"Sounds crazy," D.E. commented, "I like it."

"Go!", she ordered and they ran in. Ace hung back a bit to give the other two some cover some fire. Boomer went into a baseball slide to avoid a blast coming at him. He leveled his D-Shot and fired away until the third Batsuroid went down. At the same time D.E. jumped over his. He fired point blank in it's face as it turned around. The last one suddenly fell foreword, three hole now smoking slightly from the back of it's head. Dan put away his D-Colt as he looked over the area. "Did you get McGillia?" Ace asked him.

"We didn't see anybody come our way," he told her. Ace slammed her fist into the wall, damn it how did he get away. Rev tilted his head slightly, as if he was hearing something. Then the others heard it, the sound of an engine coming online.

"Sounds like it's coming from up there," Boomer said as he pointed toward the rooftops.

"D.E.," Ace pointed to a fire escape. He nodded and jumped up to pull the ladder down. As they raced up Ace pulled the Shepard's remote from her pack and activated the homing signal. When they reached the roof Dan ordered for them to spread out and search the skyline.

"There!", Rev pointed to a ship that was flying away from them. A beep from the remote said the Shepard was overhead. Ace worked the controls so the jet hovered over the roof. The increased winds from the engines was the only indications the ship was even there. Slowly the inside appeared as the boarding ramp lowered for them to jump in.

Ace got in her seat, closed the ramp and quickly gave chase as the other were taking their positions. They still had Mcgillia's ship in sight but a light on her control caught her attention as they started to catch up. "Damn it, I thought we fixed that."

"Not something I want to hear at this altitude Ace," Dan said.

"The starboard engine losing power again." She did a quick system check, "It's the stealth system, it's draining power from the engine." How the hell did she miss that? What else could go wrong today?

Dan lowered his head and muttered, "McGee going to have a field day with this one. Drop the stealth," he ordered and power to the starboard engine increased. She was really going to have to pressure the Major about those parts for the upgrade when she got back.

"We barely got McGillia on scanners," D.E. announced.

"Give me the location," Ace said. "I'll figure out the quickest approach vector to close the gap." His location appeared on her screen and she did a couple quick calculations in her flight computer. She had her approach and increased speed while keeping an eye on the engine sensor. "Come on baby,' she said under her breath, "don't disappoint me now."

"We're coming up on Phoenix," Boomer said from his station.

"He's almost in firing range," D.E. called out right after. There was a quick flash from Mcgillia's ship and the Shepard rocked from an impact. "We took a hit. Port wing has some slight damage."

"Space ape did not just shoot my jet," Ace said in disbelief.

"Return fire!", Dan ordered. "Wing guns!". D.E. took aim and fired away. Mcgillia tried to avoid the barrage. Sparks off it's hull were the only indication they hit him. Mcgillia fired at them again and hit the mark again.

"Starboard engine took a hit." Everybody looked at her.

She ignored them and kept her eyes on the sensors. No power loss from that engine. Finally something went right. But that damn ape shot her ship again. McGillia's ship flew between two high rise building. Dan noticed she wasn't changing course. "Ah... Ace?," he said while sitting a little straighter. D.E., Rev and Boomer started tightening the straps on their seats and braced themselves for the impact, "Ace!". She jerked the controls and the Shepard turned ninety degrees on it's side and flew the gap between the buildings, the windows rattling from the wake. Dan took a moment to find his voice, "Could you warn me when you're going to do that?!"

"Didn't have time. Are we in laser range yet?"

"We are now," D.E answered.

Ace wasted no time, "Target his engines and bring him down."

D.E. looked at Dan. "You heard her," was all he said.

"Right." D.E. prepped the laser. A handle with a trigger popped out of his council and the targeting computer locked on. The nosecone split open as he concentrated. "Target acquired. Firing laser," he pulled the trigger and a yellow energy beam stuck McGillia's port engine. It started smoking immediately and the ship headed for the ground. Ace followed it down as it crashed a mile into the dessert. The Shepard landed and Dan, Boomer and D.E exited and found McGillia stumbling away from his ship.

Dan took out his License and held it in front of him, "Target orders!". The area went black as a red X and blue circle started flashing in front of McGillia. After a minute the Red X shined brightly, "Eliminate Target." They locked their License into the D-Shots and took aim. "Ready. Strikeout!" Three blue energy beams deleted McGillia as they hit him. Dan lowered his weapon, "Got you."

When they got back to the ship they found Ace going over the damage it sustained during the chase. "Ace," D.E. said, "normally I don't complain about your flying. But this particular trip....", he trailed off.

"Hey, the Shepard's my baby," she told him. "And nobody is going to mess with it, not while I'm at the controls."

Boomer started laughing, "I just wish I could see the look on Rails face when they find out the missions over."

"I'm sure Kodiak will think of something," Dan told him. "Ace what kind of damage are we looking at?"

"Nothing major," she answered. "Me and my team can have it fixed in no time. The ride home should be a lot smoother than the actual chase. Right Rev?" She noticed Rev was looking at everything but her. Dan saw it too. The look on his face told her that this was her mess to fix and she couldn't argue.

***  
Ace was finally able to corner Rev in his office. After repairing the damage to the Shepard she found Rev was doing everything possible to avoid her. At the moment he was busy looking at something on his desk. Now she understood Cap comment about a moping Zalmanian wasn't that fun to be around. "Rev we got to talk."

"Trish, I want to apologize if I did anything to endanger our friendship. I realize you are angry with me..."

"I'm not mad at you Rev," she corrected him. "I was never mad at you. That whole situation has always been a bit of a sore spot with me."

"I did not understand your reaction. Are you upset this woman might possible be the one who gave you away?"

"That would imply I cared one way or another."

"Then did your adoptive parent discourage you from looking up your past and learning about the country you were born in."

Ace laughed, "Oh God no, they practically shoved it down my throat. Every time I turned around it was either 'Here's a book about Korea so you can learn where you came from' or 'Learn a little Korean so you won't look like a total idiot if you ever decide to visit'." She noticed the look Rev was giving her and laughed again, "Ok, they didn't say total idiot, but that's what they meant."

"Then why did you look so uncomfortable at the fair?"

She turned away to study something on the wall and crossed her arms. "It's a long story Rev. You have to understand, when I see a picture of me and my parents I don't see a white couple with a Korean kid they adopted. I see me with the two people I love more than anybody on the planet. Until that one family reunion I never realized some people never saw us that way."

"What happened?", Rev asked while coming up behind her. "If you don't want to tell me it is alright."

"It's alright Rev," she faced him and looked him in the eyes. "I was like seven or eight at the time and this one cousin of mine was making fun of me. Dad told him to stop, but his parents gave a really half hearted attempt at making him stop. Later we heard them say they couldn't believe they brought me. Actually they called me something I didn't realize was a slur at the time. But I saw how my parents reacted and figured it was pretty bad. Then I noticed how they and a couple of the others were looking at us. I've been ultra defensive about it ever since. I still get irritable if I'm around anything that reminds me I'm not actually theirs." She lowered her head, "You think I would have outgrown something so stupid by now."

"I'm sorry that some of your family reacted with such closed minds."

"There's nothing for you to be sorry about Rev. I should be the one apologizing to you for reacting the way I did. You didn't deserve that."

"It is alright Trish."

"No, it's not alright. If anything endangered our friendship it as my stupid hang up."

"Your parents mean a lot to you, do they not Trish?"

"I know we're not blood, but they are my mom and dad. And I don't care what anybody else says."

"Then that is all that matters."

She nodded slowly. "Are we still friends Rev?", she had to ask.

"I would like to think so Trish."

She grinned slightly, "Come on, I'll buy you a plate a raw meat from the cafeteria. You heard a little about my family, I want to hear about yours."

"It would be my pleasure."

Her grin got bigger, "Cool."


	13. Chapter 13

Special Police DekaOps  
12

D.E. stood in front of a church, admittedly a little nervous. He had to pull a few strings to get this arranged. And he was starting to hope things on this end didn't change without him knowing. Relaxing a little bit when the doors opened he gave the two people coming out one of his trademarked smiles. A woman in a suit and a preacher greeted him in return. "Howdy guys, I was starting to think I got the wrong day."

"It's my fault Terry," the preacher told him. "I was a little more nervous than I thought I was going to be, Carol had to calm me down believe it or not. This is a first for me as well as the children."

"It's cool padre," D.E. assured him. "Where are the rugrats?"

"Missy's bringing them out in a minute," Carol told him. "We could hardly get anything done because this was all they could talk about."

"Sorry about that Carol."

"Don't be Terry," she laughed. "If Jeff can be a bit distracted then we can let the children get a little excited." The preacher didn't dignify that with a response. Some more footsteps could be heard, soon a bunch of kids under twelve came out onto the parking lot. "Children," Carol started as she and Missy tried to get the kids into some type of order. "Now you all know Terry, Billy's older brother."

"Hi guys," he grinned and waved.

"Hi," they all said back.

"Do I take over now?", he whispered. "I'm not sure how this works."

"Be my guest," Carol walked back behind the children to keep an eye on them.

"Aright, your Sunday school teacher says y'all really excited to meet the guy I brought with me today. So instead of boring you guys by talking I'll just bring him out." He shouted behind him at a van. "Ranzack you can come out now."

Rev came out from behind the van and walked toward them. As usual he was wearing the green hoodie over his uniform. He pulled the hood back revealing his huge insect eyes and antenna. "Hello children," he greeted them warmly.

"Whoa," a couple of them muttered as they stared at him. Rev started to look a little uncomfortable so D.E. stepped in.

"No need to be shy kids," he told them. "Ranzack just as nervous being around you as you guys are of him. Besides," he put a arm around his shoulder, "he's one of the nicest guys I ever met." Rev gave him a grateful look. "Now before the questions start flying he's got no special powers like the aliens on TV or in the movies. So don't go asking if you can see them."

"Then how do we know he's really an alien," one of the older boys in the back said under his breath.

Rev looked right at him, "What type of proof to you require?"

"Ah...," the boy stammered as his face went beet red.

D.E. had to grin at his reaction, "Did I mention he's got better hearing than a dog?"

"So," Carol said trying to get everything back on track, "perhaps you can explain what you do here on Earth. And how you know Terry."

"Ah," he looked over to D.E. who urged him on, "I work with Terry. I help mediate things when the police is called and a extra terrestrial is involved." Rev said a quick prayer to the Great Spirit for forgiveness for spinning a half truth, but it was the cover story he and the others had came up with in case this question was asked.

"Isn't that what SPD is for?", asked a girl who was in the front.

"Well yeah," D.E. stepped in, "but SPD main concern are the Alienizers. We try to handle the minor disputes with the help of some friends. Like my good buddy here."

"Aren't all aliens Alienizers?", another boy in the back asked.

"Of course not," D.E. told him.

"But the only aliens you hear about on the news are Alienizers," he argued.

"That may be true," Rev agreed. "The Alienizers are a very large group, made up of several different species. But percentage wise a very small number of those species have actually joined the Alienizers." Some of the children looked confused.

D.E. stepped in again, "What I think my buddy is trying to say is there are good and bad people in all the groups you see. And you shouldn't judge all of them by a few bad apples." The kids seemed to understand that. A few more questions were asked. The kids wanted to know about Rev home planet, what he did there and if he missed it. Then a little girl got a little closer. D.E. knelt down and looked at her, "What is it darling?"

In a small voice she said, "Is it alright if he can play ball?"

"Lilly," Carol admonished her.

"Play ball?", Rev asked D.E. "That is a children game is it not?"

"Yup," D.E. replied. He looked at his watch, "You know we still got some time before we got to head back." He looked at the kids again, "I got an idea. Y'all learned a little something from Ranzack today, how about you guys teach him how to play ball and a couple of other games." That got them excited again.

"I don't believe the Major or Captain Stevens said we could do something like that," Rev whispered.

"They didn't say we couldn't either," D.E. grinned. "Come on, it'll be fun."

"Well alright." The little girl grabbed Rev by his three fingered hand and lead him to the playground. Actually it was more like she was pulling and he was trying hard to keep up. But after things got going it looked like he was starting to enjoy himself when he got the hang of things. D.E. chatted with the preacher for a few more moments before deciding to get in on the fun himself.

***  
Chatrox hated the rain, especially on this planet. In fact he hated everything about this planet. He still couldn't see why the other Agents actually wanted to come here. The human stench was unbearable at best. And he had been getting up close and personal with them lately, so he was quite familiar with it.

"I see you," a voice said. A purple looking alien walked out from a cave. He wore some kind of equipment on his back. Two cables from the pack trailed down his arms and connected to these emitters on his hands. "I'm not kidding, I know where you're at." To anybody passing by it would look like he was talking to the air.

Chatrox looked down, he was still invisible but he walked into a puddle and two holes, the exact size of his feet, were visible. He absolutely hated the rain. Dropping his invisibility he said, "What do you want Shockblast?"

"I need a reflector crystal," he said matter of factly.

The Agent raised a scalely eyebrow, "That is a very rare item now a days, especially on this backwater planet."

"I know, but I need to upgrade my weapon system. The one I'm using is almost spent and the backup I have ain't exactly good quality."

"Even a poor quality gem is going to fetch a pretty hefty price."

"Don't I know it, but everybody I talked to says you're the one I need to talk too."

Chatrox thought it over, "I do believe I might have a connection to a supplier with a reflector crystal. A very excellent quality one at that."

"Great I'll take it no matter the cost." Shockblast handed him a money chip. Chatrox, as a precaution, ran it through a reader.

With a slightly disgusted look he said, "This is nowhere near the asking price."

"But that's all I got."

"Too bad."

"I need that crystal"

"Then I suggest you find a way to raise the remaining funds." Chatrox turned to walk away. Shockblast raised his hand and pointed it to his left. The air in front of his hand started to distort slightly then shot out crashing into a car. It bent around the near invisible shockwave. Then he pointed his other right at the Agent.

"I said I need it."

"Perhaps I can pull a couple of favors and get him to lower the price. But it won't be by much, you'll still have to raise the rest.

"That's not good enough." Shockblast was going to fire but he felt the cross blade of a Igadroid at his head.

"I use to arrest people like you for a living remember," he said smugly. "So I know exactly who I am dealing with. Get the rest and I will get you that crystal." Shockblast roared at him and stormed away. "Make sure he doesn't double back," he told the Igadroid.

"Right," it replied. The one thing he missed about working for SPD? He could usually convince his superiors that any unauthorized kill he made was an accident if he played it right.

***  
Michelle watched as the door opened and the Major and Dan hurried in. The Major gave her a quick nod as Dan stood beside her behind the rail. Pierce planted his cane in front of him as he told her, "Put him through." Dan stood a little straighter as the image of Meng Yeow Gan appeared on screen. "Meng Yeow," the Major greeted him warmly, "Sorry about the wait. I was caught a bit by surprise."

Meng Yeow nodded, "I wish this was a social call Henry." He looked over to Dan, "I assume this is Ops1."

"Sir," Dan said while giving him a quick salute.

"It's good to finally put a face to the stories I've heard about the rather infamous Captain Stevens."

Dan eyes shifted over to the Major who quickly changed the subject, "What's the emergency Meng Yeow?"

"Basically we have a jumper," he nodded to somebody off screen. At the bottom right corner an image a purple alien appeared. He was wearing a device of some sort on his back. "We only know him by the alias Shockblast. He's been wanted on several planets for massive destruction and the death of millions."

"I'd wager command is just waiting for the chance to take him out," the Major commented.

"I wouldn't bet against you Henry. He was spotted in Japan a few days ago. Unfortunately by the time my team got there and picked up a trail he had already boarded his craft and hit international waters."

"And he made his way over here," the Major said.

"For a brief stop. Then the SpaceBase tracked his vessel to Mexico."

Michelle gave Dan a sympathetic look as he winced slightly. Mexico was still a bit of a sore spot. "Do we have any idea what he was after?"

"We did some checking on our side and discovered he was after a reflector crystal."

"That's weapon system component isn't it?", Dan asked.

Meng Yeow nodded," Shockblast wears one on his back. He specialized his gear to emit a sound wave of devastating power, with the aid of one of these crystals."

"Is he still in Mexico?" the Major asked.

"Our latest information says he is."

"We'll take him out," Pierce told him, "you don't have to worry about that."

"I'm not worried at all, DekaBase out," he said right before the screen went blank.

"Get the team scrambled and I'll get them up to date on route," Dan said. "If this guy is as dangerous as he says we don't have a moment to waste."

"Good idea. Meng Yeow wouldn't call unless it was major. I'm lifting silent operation for this one, I want to be kept up to date."

"I'm hooking up with the SpaceBase now," Michelle said. "I'll try to track him from here."

"I want real time if possible," Dan said as he exited the command room.

"Field team to the launch bay," the Major commanded over the intercom. "Prep to launch in fifteen minutes."

"That's my job," Michelle smirked as she kept her eyes on the keyboard.

"Dan's right, time is of the essence. I'll be in my office."

***  
Shockblast wasn't that hard to find. In fact he wasn't even trying to be stealthy at all. He stood in front of a jewelry store or a bank and blew whatever door that was in front of him open. Any human that got in his way, well that was just too bad for them. He had to meet the outrageous price Agent Chatrox's buyer was asking. Shockblast opened his hand toward the storefront of another jewelry store and let a wave fly. The window shattered and the brick wall caved in slightly from the effect. Luckily he fine tuned this over the years. Before he would have brought the entire building down and buried what he was after.

The team, dressed in full field gear, found him when he was stuffing any jewels he could get his hands on into the bag he was carrying. Dan raised a fist and they stopped behind him. Holding up five then two finger he made a half circle motion, Ace and D.E were to circle around and cover him from the other direction. Then he signaled for Boomer to head across the street. Rev did a scan of the area and showed it to him, minimal life sign detected. Hopefully they'll be smart enough to stay out of the way.

Ace and D.E. signaled that they were in position. Dan signaled for Rev and Boomer to cover him as he slowly made his way forward. Just like they planned Ace was coming up from the other direction just slowly as he was. They found some cover and watched. The target was still grabbing diamonds. It actually looked like he was being choosey and taking his time from this angle. They nodded at each other then went out of hiding, their SP-shooter aimed right at the Alienizer. "SPD, freeze Shockblast!," Dan ordered.

He dropped the bag and slowly faced them, "Oh shoot, you got me."

"Not taking his eyes off he said, "Keep those hands were I can see them."

"I plan too," he said

The air in front of his hand started to distort. Ace saw it before he did, "Cap move!"

Dan jumped out of the way but was caught in the wave's wake and landed hard. Ace was caught in the same wake and was thrown back. The wave crushed the car they were hiding behind. "Fire!", D.E. yelled out as they shooting. Shockblast ran away from the barrage, making sure to fire a wave in both direction to keep them from following.

"Captain, Trish!", Rev called out as he ran toward them. D.E. and Boomer went in the direction Shockblast did but couldn't find a trace of him. When they got back Rev had Dan sitting against the wall and treating a gash in his forehead.

"Is he going to be alright?", Boomer asked.

"Just landed on my head," Dan told them. "I didn't hurt anything important."

"As you humans say Captain," Rev told him, "I'll be the judge of that."

"How about you Ace, anything hurt?", D.E. asked her.

She rubbed her backside, "Just my pride."

Rev bandaged the gash and did another scan on Dan, "I am detecting no other injuries."

"Good because I felt like jell-o after that wave passed," Dan said as Rev helped him up.

"You too?", Ace said. She looked at what was left of a blue sedan. "I'm glad it wasn't a direct hit. Do you think the Dekasuits can handle it?"

"Let's not find out," Boomer said. "Some of us have something to live for you know," he added when D.E. looked at him.

"We all do kid," Dan told him as he took out his OpsLiciense and switched into phone. Pulling up a map in the air they tried to figure out where Shockblast went. "Any ideas were someone big and purple could have ducked into?"

"We stopped about here," D.E. pointed out on the map. "There were a couple of spots I saw he could have ducked into to get away."

"He couldn't have gotten far," Dan said heading for that spot. Rev was right behind him to make sure he didn't fall. "Rev do a scan the area for any kind of alien life sign. Ace contact OpsBase and see if Michelle can get a fix on him or find a place he can use for a hideout that's nearby."

"I'm on it," she replied. "But we're still going to do something about that blast of his."

D.E. looked at them and grinned, "I might have an idea for a plan B."

"What is it D.E.?", Dan asked.

"A slight variation on hide and seek," he told them.

"Is that not another children's game?", Rev asked

His grin got bigger, "Yup."

***  
With Michelle help they located the warehouse Shockblast was using as a hide out. He was so busy cataloging his latest haul he didn't noticed the multi colored individuals sneaking around him. A glimpse here and there caught his attention but he dismissed it. "Eh... I must be seeing things."

"You sure about that?", a voice behind him asked. Shockblast turned around and saw a figure in a black and red Dekasuit flanked by four others stood there. Where the hell did they come from?

"You jackasses never learn," Shockblast stated as he raised his hands.

"Scatter!", Dan yelled as he reached for the D-Colt and jumped for cover. The other ran off in different direction. All that sneaking around gave them a pretty good idea about the floor lay out so they knew were to go. Shockblast held off from firing, he had some stuff hidden around here from previous jobs and didn't want to pulverize it by accident. He tried to keep his bearing and fired a small shockwave when he saw one of them. But they moved fast, running in and out of sight. They punks actually had the nerve to take potshots at him.

Dan kept an eye on the pad in his hand. He threw up the mini satellite before they made themselves known. So he was able to direct the other when he saw them. He passed D.E. and tossed him the D-Colt. The plan had better work. From the screen he saw Shockblast start to move and look for them. Dan saw Boomer and gave the signal to speed the operation up. They had to keep this guy away from D.E. as long as possible for him to get in position..

"Come out, come out where ever you are," Shockblast taunted.

"Tag!", Boomer shouted as he came out of hiding and fired with his D-Shooter.

"You're it," Ace said as she did the same. Shockblast tried to cover up as the they shot around him. IT gave Dan and Rev enough time to run up, jump and punch the Alienizer back. Then Ace and Boomer jumped over them and kicked him back even more.

"I think it's time you called it a day and just give up," Dan told him.

"I could do that," Shockblast turned his palms toward them and sent out a quick pulse that sent them flying. "But this is more fun." Dan unhooked his D-Shot but Shockblast let loose another wave that made them all fly backwards into a wall, dropping the weapon they were holding.

Dan struggled to get to his feet and muttered "There's that jell-o feeling again."

"And that wasn't even full power," he boasted. "Slag, I've seen a guy turn to liquid goo at full blast in seconds. I always wondered how long it would take with a guy wearing a Dekasuit. Hey, wait a minute," he did a quick head count, "there were five of you. Where's did the blue on go?"

"Blue one?", Ace asked. "What blue one?"

"Cute on bitch," Shockblast looked around. "Guess he got smart and ran off. Too bad you guys weren't that smart." He rubbed the tips of his fingers together, "Now you're going to find out how I took down a capitol building in one blow."

Dan and the other struggled to their feet. Shockblast put his hands together and the air started to distort, a huge field this time around. Dan and Ace pushed the others out of the way. D.E. jumped out from hiding behind him and took quick aim, right at the glowing area on the back. Three shots fired out of the D-Colt. The first shot splintered the covering. The second shot broke through. The third shot cracked the crystal within, causing a power surge in the equipment. The energy feedback traveled down the cables and into the emitters on his hand, causing them to explode.

"Argh," Shockblast cried out form in pain from his smoking hands.

"How about you don't cut it as close next time," Dan told D.E.

"I got to make it interesting." D.E. hurried over to them and tossed him back the D-Colt, "Thanks for finally letting me play with that thing, by the way."

"Let me treat your wounds," Rev said as he headed for Shockblast. Dan held up his left arm to stop him.

D.E. pointed his License at him, "Target orders." The area went black as Shockblast was scanned. Before long the red X shined in front of him, "Eliminate target." D.E., Ace and Boomer locked their License into the D-Shots. Ace and Boomer got to a knee as D.E. stood behind them. "Strikeout!", three energy beams struck Shockblast and deleted him. "Got ya."

"Why did you stop me Captain?", Rev demanded.

"No point in fixing him if we're just going to delete him," Dan told him.

"It sucks buddy, I know," D.E. said, "but it's what we have to do."

"Are we still cool Rev?", Dan asked.

"I do not like this," Rev told him, "but this is our duty. I knew this was a possibility when I joined SPD."

"I'm not sure if this helps, but I don't like it either," Dan said. "Come on, let's check this place out then head home."

***  
"What the in the hell did you do to yourself?", Michelle asked Dan as he exited the Shepard and saw the bandage on his forehead.

"A little on the job accident," Dan told her. It wasn't a total lie. "Rev said I was going to be fine."

"Well it's lucky there nothing up there to hurt," she smirked."

"Either you were listening in or you been talking to the Major again," he gave her a look. "I better report in and give him the brief mission report."

"If you guys will excuse me," Boomer told them, "I have to get cleaned up and dressed to be just in time to be late with my dinner with Lisa."

"Alright guys," Ace said to her crew in the bay, "time to give this bird it's post mission check up."

D.E. put a hand on Rev shoulders, "You sure you're alright buddy? You were a little quieter than usual on the trip back."

"I wish I could say I was," he admitted. "I am a doctor Terry. I am trained to heal those that are sick or injured. I realize that this is, as you put it, what we have to do. The Great Sprit may have set me on this path, but sometimes I wonder if I can do this."

"Look Rev, I don't have a magic saying that gonna make sense of all of this. If I did I wouldn't be doing this ," he grinned. "I'm sure you're not the only one who had some doubts if they can keep doing this. I know I have, but I found something to fight for to get me through it."

"May I ask what that is?"

"I think of the kids, like the ones you met at the church. I think about what kind of future they might have if we fail and let a really nasty one get away."

Rev thought that over, "Would it be alright if I used that as well."

"Be my guest, mi motivation es tu motivation."

"Thank you Terry."

"No problem man." he looked at his watch. "Oh crap, I still gotta call my folks. I'll meet you in the rec room later."

"Of course my friend," Rev smirked. Children were still the same no matter what species or planet they were from


	14. Chapter 14

Special Police DekaOps

13

Dan sat behind his desk going over the morning reports the Major thought he should check over. Usually the routine things or if he wanted a second opinion on something. He opened one file and gave a quick glance at the first page. Dan grunted as he took the page out of the file, he snuck in one of Ace's request forms again. Either he was going to have to talk to the Major about this or he was going to have to tell Ace to cool it with the requests. God he was wanting a novel in his hands right about now. The call button in his door went off. "It's open," he told the person as he read the file.

The door opened and somebody, he wasn't really paying attention who, walked in. Before he knew it Michelle was jumping in his lap. "So, Dan, what are you doing for lunch?", she asked like nothing was out of place.

"You had to do this to ask me?"

"Just making sure I had your attention."

"You always have my full attention," he told her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Then something on his desk started beeping, "Now what?"

Michelle checked the comm. display on his desk. "You have an interstellar call coming in," she said feeling a little confused. "It's marked private."

"You sure it's for me?", he had no idea what was going on. Who would be calling him?

"Ops1, DekaOps Earth," she informed him, She got off his lap so he could get up. He went over to his office wall comm. and activated it.

"ID verification," he said to the monitor, "Stevens, Daniel. Voice code 'Puss 'n' Boots'."

"Puss 'n' Boots?", Michelle asked with a smirk.

"Would you have guessed it?" The screen came to life. A tiger-sejin in a similar black uniform stared back at him. Dan grinned at seeing his old training buddy, "Tony the Tiger."

The tiger raised an eyebrow, "How long are you going to keep calling me that furless?"

"For as long as you keep calling me furless." The tiger chuckled and Dan joined in. "I'm pretty sure you're not using SPD equipment to make a personal call so what's up?"

"Correct, I'm breaking a couple of regulations here, but I thought I should give you a heads up." He looked around him before continuing, "You have a sheriff heading your way."

"A sheriff? You talking about that bull guy?"

"Think a little further back furless. I'm talking about a Space Sheriff."

"Those were the guys before SPD. I didn't think they were still around."

"There are a few still out there patrolling the space lanes, but most of them went into the command chain when things got reorganized into SPD."

Dan furrowed his brow, "So why is one coming here?"

"Tony" grunted, "This one a personal acquaintance of Commander Scorp and wanted to inspect the black badge units personally. I believe he is what you would call a real hard ass. He really put my unit through the wringer while he was here."

"Great," Dan muttered. Just what he needed, a pencil pusher breathing down his neck. "So when can I expect him to show up?"

A warning claxon went off and a voice over the base intercom said, "We have an incoming craft requesting clearance to land. All hands on standby."

"I say in about a few moments," the tiger chuckled.

"Thanks for the advanced warning," Dan said sarcastically.

"Any time furless," and the screen went blank.

***

Dan and Michelle made it to the hanger right when the ceiling doors were closing. The Major looked caught off guard as well as they fell in. The black and white craft hissed as a ramp on it's side lowered. An individual with pointed ears and a bluish tint to his skin came walking out. He was wearing the uniform of SPD high Command. They all stood at attention when they say him. He looked them over, "Please relax, it looks like something is going to burst."

Despite their best effort to hide it, that took them by surprise. The major stepped forward, "I like to welcome you to OpsBase Commander…?"

"Trytan," he informed him.

"Commander Trytan. I apologize for the look of the place, we weren't expecting anybody and my chief engineer and her crew just got done with the Machine Shepard's routine maintenance."

"That's the way I like it Maj. Pierce. May I call you Henry?"

"If you wish," he said.

"Good, I hate the pomp and circumstance of the official visits. Everything seems so artificial and fake. No I prefer to catch you guys in your natural environment as it were."

Once again the Major tried not to look like he was caught off guard. "Let me introduce you to my senior staff." He turned to the others, "This is my second in command and team field leader Capt. Daniel Stevens."

"Commander," Dan saluted.

"Captain," Trytan saluted back. "You stand like a warrior, I like that."

"And this is our information officer, Lt. Michelle Chavez."

"Commander," she smiled warmly.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said.

"My previously mentioned chief engineer and second in command of the field unit Sgt. Trish Fieldman." They traded pleasantries. "And the rest of the field unit: Sgt. Terry Kennedy, weapons, Sgt. Ranzack, our medic, and Sgt. Robert Parker, communications and explosives." They all saluted and Trytan acknowledged them. "If you want we can arrange for you and your pilot to freshen up for a bit before we continue."

"That would just be me Henry," Trytan informed him. "Blame it on my Space Sheriff days but I have never been comfortable with somebody flying the ship for me. But I will take you up on that offer to rest a bit before I inspect your unit. Maybe put them through their paces while I'm here."

"Right, if you would follow me please," Pierce gestured to the door. Ace had her crew start in on Trytan's ship while the others watched them leave.

Michelle leaned over and whispered, "That's supposed to be a hard ass?"

Dan just stared at the door, "Unless he turns into a drill sergeant I'm going to skin that cat."

***

A couple of hours later Commander Trytan wanted to see them in action before they did anything else. Starting with how fast they could get field ready and launch the Machine Shepard. Which they did in near record time. Trytan stood in the center of the cabin as they were doing what they were suppose to do during the test flight. "I'm sorry about the accommodations Commander", Dan said again. "You're more than welcome to my chair."

"And that would disrupt things more than I already have Captain. Although if I could I would like to take the controls for a few moments before we head back."

"Do you want to lose an arm?", Boomer muttered.

"Boomer," D.E. warned him softly.

The Commander laughed, "I totally understand, I was the same way back in the day. I'd rather die than let someone else pilot my vessel."

"Pardon my interruption Commander," Rev spoke up, "but you had two vessels during your career, is that correct?"

"Yes I did," Trytan said while looking impressed, "I'm surprised you knew that Ranzack. I'm not one of the legendary Space Sheriffs."

"The history of the Space Sheriffs has always fascinated me Commander. When my studies would allow I as usually buried in any data text I could find."

Trytan nodded, "Then you already know how I lost my first ship, the Waverider."

"Yes sir, but I was hoping to get your perspective on the event."

"My perspective is in the report Ranzack. I was after a scientist who was trying to decode our weaponry and armor technology. I located him but he was heavily guarded. They were able to force me away from the base. Next thing I knew there was a large flash of light and the base and my ship disappeared."

"So what happened," Dan asked, "did this guy trip a self destruct?"

"Nobody's sure," Trytan said. "That was the best guess anybody came up with. But there's no actual evidence to support that theory. And that case has never been closed because of it."

Boomer spoke up, "My Grandfather was a cop too. He told me there were a couple he had a couple of cases he could never solve while he was on the force, even after he retired. Those cases still bug him to this day."

"I understand your Grandfather's feeling. I still go over the data collected on that day."

The comm. board went off, "Cap, we got an incoming from OpsBase."

Out of habit Dan said, "Put it on screen." The Major appeared on the monitor over the cockpit window.

"I hate to interrupt, but satellites have picked up a strange signal in Brazil. And it wasn't there before."

"Right, we'll return to base and drop off the…"

"If it's all the same to you Captain," Trytan interrupted, "but I think I'll accompany you on this one. My mission is to observe how you operate, what better way than on an actual mission."

His gut told Dan to reject this idea, but unfortunately the Commander outranked him if he decided to push it. The Major thought the same thing, "I'm not sure that's wise Commander. There's no way to guarantee your safety if anything happens.

"I'm fully aware of that Henry. I'll take full reasonability for myself, besides I am part of SPD."

Well, there was no way out of this one. He did not need somebody out there trying to give orders over him. "Send us the location of the signal. We'll go silent ops as soon as the transmission ended."

"Michelle sending it now Cap, OpBase out," His image faded as the lost the signal.

"Pardon me Capt. Stevens," Trytan said right after, "but silent ops?"

"I can't speak for the other Ops units but it's a factor in our operation here," Dan explained." Essentially it means we're on our own until we get back to base."

"I got the signal location Cap," Boomer said. "I'm sending Ace the co-ordinates."

"Got 'em, I'm plotting the course now."

"Can I see the signal wavelength?", Trytan asked. "I may recognize it."

Dan's common sense overrode his gut reaction. The Commander might recognize it and he was trained to use any resource available. "D.E. pull it up and show the Commander."

"Right here Commander," D.E. slid over a bit. As Trytan looked at he looked surprised for a brief moment. "Do you recognize it?

"What…?", he was startled. "No, it's vaguely familiar, but I don't want to say anything until I'm completely sure."

"Right." Dan pulled up a map, "No offence Commander but…"

"Don't worry Captain I will stay away from the battlefield. I know my presence would interfere with your team dynamics." Dan nodded, at least they understood each other.

***

The trip to Brazil was uneventful. Then they got in range of the signal and a volley from the ground was launched in their direction. "Incoming!", D.E. yelled out.

"Hang on!", Ace commanded as she tried to maneuver the Shepard between the blast, "How in the hell are they seeing us? The cloak is still on." Trytan remained stone faced during the whole ordeal.

"Get this bird on the ground now," Dan told her.

"Right," Ace replied. Waiting for a blast to go off near them D.E. hit a control and something on the hull exploded leaving a smoke trail. Ace put the ship into a near vertical dive.

"Is this a wise maneuver?", Trytan asked while hanging on for dear life. "They'll know where we are."

"They can see us anyway," Ace told him. "And hopefully it should give us some breathing room on the way down." As the ground quickly approached she pulled the stick back to pull the jet out of the dive and hit the landing thrusters. The ship landed with a thud as they were tossed around. "I am not looking forward to seeing what that damaged when we get back."

"Worry about it later," Dan said as he got out of his seat and headed for the ramp. "Whoever it is going to send out a search party so we don't have much time." He turned to the Commander," Now what the hell is going on?"

"Do you think I had something to do with this?"

"We go out on a test flight in full gear on your order. We suddenly get a mission where the supposed enemy can see us. You tell me what I'm supposed to think."

"Captain I couldn't plan something like this if I wanted to, especially on a planet as divided as this one."

"Then what was that signal? And don't give that bullshit about you're not being sure." The others stared at him like he grew a second head.

"I appreciate your concern…"

"My team safety is my only concern right now Commander," he cut him off.

Trytan nodded and conceded, "It was from my ship."

"The one that disappeared?", Rev asked.

"The very one. It… took me by surprise."

"This scientist you mentioned," Dan said, "his name wasn't Gremlin was it?"

"No, it was Drago. But I think he had an assistant by that name. Did you run into him?"

"In Hawaii awhile back, he was copying SPD tech. Kind of like the guy you mentioned."

"I guess he survived too if my ship did." Trytan looked apologetic, "I'm sorry Captain, I should have said something sooner."

"Worry about it later," Dan said as he hit the ramp control. "If we're going to get out of here we're going to have to take out those guns. Since they're looking for us they're going to find us. Commander, can you take out the guns while we had off the main force?"

Trytan was surprised, "What about the safety of your unit?"

"We don't know what kind of defenses they have. A single man has a better chance of sneaking in."

"Especially if they're distracted. So why me?"

"As far as I'm concerned," Dan said as he went down the ramp, "this is still you case." He looked him in the eyes, "Time to put this one to rest Commander."

Tryatn looked moved, "Thank you Captain." He looked at the others before heading off into the jungle.

Dan pulled out his knife and SP-Shooter, "Buy him as much time as you can."

"Strike hard and strike fast," Ace added. Dan nodded. A group of Anaroids came into view. They shot them as soon as they saw them.

"That's going to attract attention, move," Dan ordered.

***

Batsuroids and an Igadroid were studying monitors and sensors under a canopy. One of the search groups had failed to check in. Another reported that they found a craft of some sort right before contact was lost. Sitting on a rock in the sun was an old lizard, it's green scales brittle and on the verge of falling off. It injected itself with something and started moving with a new a new energy. "Status report," he said to the Igadroid.

"We have lost two," a Batsuroid in the back said something, "correction, three of the search parties. The fourth heard something by one of the generators and are investigating now."

"Show me where they are." The lizard walked to a table that had a map of the surrounding area.

"We lost the three in this area," the Igadroid pointed in the area were the craft went down. "The fourth is here in this area," it's hand moved a few inches to the left."

"They apparently split up. Fortify the defenses around the base. I don't want them sneaking in."

"Yes Prof. Drago."

Drago looked at the ship in the background, he knew that's why they come. He spent fifteen years using that ship to get himself back to this dimension. He was not about to let whoever it was take it from him.

On the other side of the camp Trytan was sneaking around. He recognized the tech those generators and sensors were based on and was able to bypass it quickly and send a group of them in the wrong direction. Stevens and his team may have been acting as a decoy for him, but that didn't mean he couldn't make their job a little easier. Finding one of the turrets he tried to find out how it worked. The turret itself was automated, but was controlled by an outside source. He knew what that source was and headed for the ship. Avoiding several patrols made his way to his old ship and closed in on an entry hatch. Much to his surprise his access code still worked. A wave of nostalgia came over him as he looked at the inside. He shook his head, he would have time for this later.

Trytan headed for the main computer and started searching programs. Finding the turret program he deactivated them and sent out a false signal to the read outs. That done, he dove into the records and discovered what happened twenty years ago. Drago had accidentally opened a huge dimensional gate that had swallowed the base and his ship. He escaped about five years ago. Well that was one mystery solved now they had to take care of Drago. "Tryatn to Stevens," he spoke into his Command License. "The turrets are deactivated, but there are guards everywhere."

"Understood Commander, we're on our way. Stevens out.

Tryatn looked at the License in his hand. This was how he did things now. But this was an old case. He searched the computer again to see if a certain set of programs was still active.

***

Dan hid behind the foliage that surrounded the ship and the base. Rows of Anaroids and Batsuroids surrounded the vessel. He wasn't kidding when he said they were everywhere. "Light it up!", Dan shouted. Seeing the odds Boomer threw two flash grenades, they use the moment they had to charge in. "Change standby," as one they pulled out their OpLicense. "Emergency! DekaOps!"

Each of them was surrounded by a digital field. Dekametal covered their bodies and turned into a black bodysuit. A colored striped ran down their bodies and formed their number on the left side of their chest. A backpack and the D-Shot appeared on their backs. "Face on!", they shouted and a helmet formed around their heads. "Special Police," the light on the side of their helmets flashed, "DekaOps!"

"And I thought those fools in the Space Sheriffs only had the audacity to attack in the open," Drago said from the rear. "I guess such stupidity traveled to the next generation."

"Give it up Drago," Dan said. "This isn't your fight anymore."

"Those so called Alienizers thought the same thing, until I met one who believed I could reverse SPD technology by using the Space Sheriff's. And I have had success. Shot me," he ordered the Igadroid who complied. The shot deflect off of him as something flashed around him. "This force field may not be as flashy as your Dekasuits or the Sheriffs armor but it does the job. Did you know your weaponry is very to similar to theirs? That disappointed me a little, it made my job a little too easy. Kill them, but try to salvage one of their Licenses. They intrigue me."

"Not so fast Drago!" Everybody looked up, Trytan stood on top of his ship.

"Slag Trytan, I'm surprised you're still around. Still protecting the space ways as one of these Deka fools?"

"Yes, but with trash as old as you I'm not even going to use my License." He held out left hand, palm open. Quickly he swung the arm behind him and knelt down. He stood up pumping his right hand into the air. In less than a second he was covered in a green colored plasma energy. It quickly faded away and he was covered head to toe in body armor with a greenish tint, eyes glowing yellow. Holding his left arm up again he announced, "Defender of the space ways!" He swung his left arm back and crossed his right in front of his chest, "Space Sheriff Trytan!"

"Now that's old school," Boomer said. Trytan jumped off the ship and landed by them ready to fight.

"You sure you didn't plan this?", Dan asked with a bit of humor in his voice.

"Not even in my wildest dreams Captain." The force in front of them looked like they were getting ready to attack.

Dan glanced at his team then over to Trytan, "Give the word Commander."

"The word is given Captain." Both sides charged the other as Drago watched from the back. Ace used her D-Rod to smash any Anaroid that came near her. Rev used his D-Knife to stab a Batsuroid as he shot at what was coming up behind him with his other hand. D.E and Boomer ran side by side firing way with their D-Shooters. Dan was unloading with his D-Shot at point blank range. Trytan jumped up and shot several Anaroids with his blaster, as he landed he holstered that one and drew his sword and cut down several more.

Dan and Trytan ended up back to back as a group surrounded them. He watched the bots as he held up his D-Shot and told him, "Not bad for an old timer."

"Old?", he said. "You're only as young as you feel junior."

"If you say so. Now!", following Dan lead they jumped away from each other and fired at whatever bot was closest.

"Tri Cutter!" Trytan held up two fingers and a triangle shape laser blasted a Batsuroid that was coming up behind Dan.

"Nice trick," Dan said.

"Surprises them every time." Trytan told him right before he headed for another group.

"Squash them," Drago said and the Igadroid ran off. Moments later the ground started shaking.

"Whoa," D.E. exclaimed while trying to keep his footing, "is this an earthquake?" A Dragon shaped monster mech came out of the ground. They had to jumped out of the way as a foot came at them.

"Now what?", Ace asked. Dan had absolutely no idea what to do now. Maybe if they got back to the ship and aimed the laser at that thing cockpit.

Trytan stepped forward, "Leave this to me. The Waverider might be old but she still has some life in her." Almost on cue the old ship lifted off the ground. It flew circles around the dragon mech firing it's weapons at it. "Fire mode," Tyrtan said standing with his right side facing the mech. A giant green outline of his armor formed in the air above him. The Waverider hovered between the image and the mech.

"I heard about this but I didn't believe it," Dan muttered as he watched. The ship started changing. The wing folded down and connected under the hull. The nose section split open and folded under as well. Following Trytan's movements the image reached out and held the ship like a gun.

"Maximum wave cannon", Trytan called out, "Fire!" A massive stream of energy shot out and destroyed the mech.

"Captain," Rev said as he saw Drago run.

"Stop him," Dan ordered. They didn't have to chase after Drago for long. He was already at the controls of a device hidden in a column.

"If Trytan thinks he has total control of that ship resources, he is mistaken." A portal opened that swallowed Drago and DekaOps up."

"No," Trytan whispered. He hurried to the controls. Drago was using his ship to power a gateway into that dimension he was caught in. And from the looks of things he fixed it so that if the panel was messed with the portal would be sealed off forever. "I hope you guys area as good as Scorp claims you are Captain."

***

They were flung through a dimensional rift and were dumped in what looked like a rock quarry. But the sky was purple with various objects hanging in mid air. Dan and the others could feel the heat through their Dekasuits. "What the fuck just happened?!", he demanded.

"This is not good," Rev said as he looked around.

"Spill it Rev," Dan ordered.

"Some of the organizations the Sheriffs went up against had access to a unique dimension. It increased their warriors' strength and abilities as a side effect."

"That is correct insect," Drago came out of nowhere and fast. He slashed Dan, D.E. and Rev before any of them knew it. "I spent fifteen years of my life in this bastard place." He came in again and nailed Ace and Boomer. "It may have increased my strength but the prolonged exposure took years off my life." Rev pulled out something but Drago destroyed it the moment it appeared.

Dan grunted in pain as he got up, "How did the Sheriffs deal with this situation?"

"They had special sensors to detect the creature. And Drago just destroyed my scanner."

Dan looked at him as the idea for a plan B hit him, "Then we use the next best thing. Surround and cover Rev." The four of them stood and circled around Rev, their backs to him. Not taking his eyes off the area in front of him Dan said, "Rev…".

"I understand Captain," Rev calmed himself and said a quick prayer to the Great Spirit. First he concentrated on his own heartbeat to focus himself. Then he listened to hearts of his friends. The increased beatings of their hearts the only thing betraying the anxiety they were feeling. Then he listened past them into the quarry itself. A moving heartbeat caught his attention. He looked at Dan's back, "Eight o' clock."

"Fire!," he ordered as D-Colt and D-Shooter were pointed in that direction. The first few shots hit nothing. Then two hit Drago's shield. "Concentrate your fire their!"

"Slag it," Drago cursed as the barrage forced him backwards. He hit another control on his belt and a portal opened. "Enjoy your stay here."

"Move it!", he ordered but they were already running. They jumped through the portal right before it closed. Drago was leaning against a rock trying to inject himself with something. He dropped the injector when he saw them come through. "Target orders!", Dan held out his License. The area went dark as a red X and a blue circle flashed in front of Drago. After a minute the Red X shined in front of him, "Eliminate Target." Locking their OpsLicence into the D-Shots, D.E. and Boomer went to a knee as the other stood behind them. "Strikeout!," five energy streams hit Drago.

"Ha!", Drago barked as his energy shield flickered on and off before disappearing completely, the control on his belt smoking. They couldn't believe he was still standing after that. "You Space Police think you're so invincible! You can't eliminate me, not even those so called legendary Space Sheriffs can do it."

"You sure about that," Dan said as he hooked his D-Shot to his pack. Drago felt a presence behind him and turned to see Trytan standing there.

"This ends now Drago," he stated. He held his sword up chest high as lightning struck around him. Holding his left hand in front of the blade he slowly went down the length of the sword, green energy forming around the blade. He swung it around a few times before holding it above his head.

"No!" Drago cried as he tried to back away.

"Dynamic slash!", he swung the sword down at him, the energy slicing through him like nothing. Drago spun around before falling to the ground and exploding.

Dan threw the thumbs down, "Got you."

Trytan turned his back to the explosion, "Mission complete." Then he added softly, "Finally."

***

Trytan powered down the armor and just stared at his old ship. Memory flowed through him as he laid a hand on it. Dan walked up behind him, removing his hat. He waited a few moments before speaking, "We finally secured he area Commander." Trytan nodded but kept looking at his ship. Dan slowly walked up and stood beside him, "It must be built pretty solid to survive this long."

"Yes it is, she got me through a few close calls. It broke my hearts when I thought I lost her." Finally he looked at Dan, "Thank you once again Captain."

"Like I said it was still your case, we were just the backup squad." They were quiet for a few moments, "I also wanted to apologize for accusing you for planning this whole thing."

"Don't apologize Captain," he told him. "In my day we were on our own, some of us may have had a partner but we were alone. Now a days things are different, and you have a unit to worry about. In fact, I would have been disappointed in you if your unit's safety wasn't your primary concern."

Dan nodded in understanding, "So I imagine you'll be taking the Waverider back to SPD HQ. Maybe take on a few mission here and there."

"Oh no," Trytan laughed, surprising Dan, "I'll let SPD take her back. Besides she belongs in a museum and my space patrolling days are long behind me. No, I'll leave that to you and this current generation. And the ones like Gavan, some of us think he going to die on his feet during one of them." Trytan smiled at him, "But I do have to say I had a blast doing this one more time."

Dan laughed, "At least one of us did."

"Oh my, the other inspections are going to be quite boring compared to this one. Say, how well to you know this Zzyrax?"

"Not that well, just that he's a telepath."

"Slag," Trytan said looking disappointed. "Then I guess he'll know I'd asked you to call him right before I landed then."

Dan looked at him in disbelief, "You put 'Tony' up to that?"

"Well he was rather reluctant until I told him it was you," Trytan grinned. Dan shook his head and laughed. "Let's head back to that base of yours. I'm sure Henry will want to know that despite the rather unusual circumstances, your unit passed my inspection with flying colors." He put an arm around his shoulder, "Tell me Captain, how did you survive that dimension?"

"My medic has really good hearing."

"Alright," Trytan said pointing a finger at him, "now I'm going to need details on that one."


	15. Chapter 15

Special Police DekaOps

14

"How did I get roped into this?", Dan asked pulling the tie out of his jacket and looked at it. Michelle took it from his hand and tucked it back in. D.E. looked like he was going to say something until Dan shot him a look. While he would never admit it out loud he really enjoyed being able to do that. Boomer unusually didn't say much as they walked down the street. Rev looked as uncomfortable as he felt, how they found a suit for the guy was beyond him.

Ace, who was leading them down the street, answered him anyway, "Because we been through a lot the last couple of missions. As second in command I thought we should get away from the base and relax and relieve some stress. The Major agreed with me."

"But as a unit?", Dan said still in disbelief. He glanced over to Michelle and narrowed his eyes a bit. "I think some blackmail was involved somehow."

"Don't look at me," she said. "I haven't told anybody any of those stories you told me about him."

"Well," Ace started, "I kinda told him I go easy on the equipment request for the next week."

The rest of them gave out a collective, "Ah."

"I don't fill out that many request forms," she said a little defensively.

"Yes you do," Michelle told her.

"I was wondering why he looked so happy earlier," Dan commented. "I thought his cousin finally moved out or something."

"I'm pretty sure he would have been doing a jig if he did" Michelle corrected him. Dan had to agree.

"So where are we heading Ace?", D.E. asked

"This new club I heard about," she informed them. "It's called 'Way Out There'."

Dan spoke up, "I don't want to sound like a downer Ace, but I don't do the club thing."

"And I'm afraid I won't exactly fit in," Rev put in.

"Come on Cap loosen up," Ace told him. Then she added, "And you'll fit in just fine Rev. A friend of mine been there a couple of times. She said it just human and aliens are mixing together having a good time."

"I'm surprise you didn't bring Lisa along Boomer," D.E. said. "From the sound of things this sounds like it'd be right down your alley."

"Yeah Boomer," Ace agreed, "nobody said she couldn't come. Besides, I don't think Cap and Michelle wants to be the only couple in the group that drags everybody else down."

"Just wait until you get a boyfriend," Michelle told her.

"She wanted to come," Boomer said. But the hospital needed and extra set of hands tonight and nobody else was available."

"Too bad," Michelle said, "I really wanted to meet her."

"Ah guys," D.E. said as he looked down the street. "It looks like the club was hoppin' a little too much tonight." They looked down the street and saw a pack of flashing lights. They hurried up to see what the commotion was. The police were holding everybody back. They made their way through the crowd to get to the front. The club Ace was taking them too had it's window smashed in and spray paint covered the outside, "Holy crap the place's been vandalized."

"What's a Skag?", Boomer asked reading some of the graffiti.

"It's a damn slur," somebody behind them said. "A bunch of idiots were calling my friends that a week ago."

"Sorry Rev," Boomer said looking a little embarrassed.

"No apologies are necessary," he said. "Although I am loathed to admit that I have been called this myself."

"Why didn't you say anything?", Ace asked.

"I saw no need in bringing it up any more attention to it."

They looked around at the graffiti until D.E. pointed out something else. It was a circle with a one inside of it. "That looks like it might be important. Do you think you can find out that stands for Michelle?"

Before she could answer Dan said, "Earth First." They looked at him in surprise.

"The Captain and I have encountered this particular symbol before," Rev informed them. "They were telling people about their anti-alien philosophies, it appears they have taken a more aggressive stance.

Dan said nothing as he made his way back through the crowd. The others followed and when they were out of earshot Ace asked, "So what do we do?"

"We do nothing," Dan said without turning around. They stopped where they were as he kept walking.

"What do you mean we do nothing?", Ace demanded. "This involved aliens."

Dan turned around to face them and pointed at the building. "Human did that Ace. As much as that disgusts me, we can't get involved. The only humans we can touch are those that align themselves with the Alienizers." They just stared at him. "You want to go over my head and bring this up with the Major go right ahead. I hope I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure he'll agree with me."

"You now Cap," D.E. said, "I'm the only one here who actually an officer in the Springfield police department. And I can go over and see what up."

"Knock yourself out," Dan told him as turned around. He slowed down a bit to walk next to Michelle. "See if he finds out anything and try to do some unofficial checking. We can't get involved officially but nobody said we can't send an anonymous tip."

She smiled at him, "And here I was starting to have some doubts about you."

***

Like he said the Major did agree with him, but he did look the other way when Michelle did a little background check on Earth First. She couldn't find much on them unfortunately, especially for the last couple of months. Whoever was behind got really good at covering their tracks."

A couple of days had past when she called Dan into the rec room. On one of those nighttime interview shows somebody named Chad Rockwell. A tagline on the bottom of the screen identified him as the spokesman for Earth First. "Why do I want to see this?", he asked.

"They said they're going to talk about SPD," D.E. informed him. "Anybody want to take any bets he going to talk about that line of crap as that hag over in England?"

"The one Rescue showed up?", Boomer asked. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"Mr. Rockwell," the interviewer started, "I'm sure you're aware that we heard this before, or something like it, over in England."

"Yes I know," Rockwell said in a smooth voice. Dan's eyes narrowed a bit as he listened to him. "But I think Mrs. Flinch went too far."

"How so? You're both anti-alien…"

"Yes," he interrupted, "but she called for the removal of SPD on Earth. Now, my organization sees the need for SPD but we don't think these alien should be involved."

"But SPD is an alien organization."

"True, but we also feel that the protection of Earth should be left up to us human and nobody else. Look at DekaRanger in Singapore, to my knowledge there is not an alien involved anywhere in that entire organization and they do just fine. Now over here in the United States our own DekaRail is run by a bear of all things. God forbid he should hibernate in the winter…"

The interviewer coughed a bit to cut him off. "Yes…well I'd like your opinion of the recent rise of hate crimes against Aliens currently living in the states. A word often heard and seen during these events, and I apologizes to anyone I might offend, Skag."

Rockwell shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Yes, I personally despise that word myself. As for the recent activities of some of our members, remember, I am just the spokesman for Earth First. While I speak about our views and philosophies, some of our members prefer a more… visual way to get our views across."

"These more visible views include vandalism, harassment and there have been some unconfirmed reports of lynching…"

"We are just trying to protect what's ours," Rockwell countered. "It was hard enough to find a decent job before these alien showed up. Some of these things will work for anything."

"Official reports have said the alien have been paid the same wage as everybody else Mr. Rockwell."

"And reports can be falsified Mr. Jones," he countered again. "Would you really admit you're actually paying the elephant that looks like an elephant peanuts? And how many of them want to be paid in blood…"

"Turn that son of a bitch off," Dan said after he heard enough. Boomer grabbed the remote and switched to another channel. "Why do they let guys like that on the air? It only makes things worse."

"Your country does have freedom of speech Captain," Rev reminded him.

"Yeah and jackasses like that wave it around like there's no tomorrow." Dan sat on the arm of the couch next to Michelle and asked, "Do you think you can find anything on this Rockwell guy?"

"Already tried," she told him. "Whoever this guy is his record is squeaky clean." Then she looked at him a little funny, "Why do you want to know about this guy?"

"I know I've seen that guy before," he told her. "An idiot like that should stick out like a sore thumb but I can't place him."

"Perhaps he was somebody you knew before you joined SPD," Rev said. Dan looked at him confused. "The first time we encountered these people I asked you if you agreed with them. You answered that a few months prior you would have."

The others just looked at him. "Cap…?", D.E. asked stunned.

He thought about his answer, might as well be honest, "I don't think I was as a bad as those idiots, but I'll admit that I wasn't the most alien happy guy in the world. I saw them as another problem being added to the ones we already had and would be jumping for joy when they finally left." He got up and headed for the door. "Then I was assigned off planet for six months and had everything I was thinking thrown back at me ten fold. I was smart enough to figure out how stupid I was being and tried to things with my eyes a little more open than they were. Before all this I used to think I was a pretty open minded guy. I kind of hope I became a more open minded person because of it."

"I believe you are Captain," Rev said.

"Thanks Rev," he said gratefully. "But there are times I wished I believed it too."

***

The Major called the team into the command room the next day. "We're having an Alienizer problem in our own backyard. One of them has been hitting the local businesses, harassing the owners and customers."

"Do we have any idea who it is?", Dan asked.

"We don't know," Michelle told them. "The witnesses gave a very good description of the Alienizer in charge but it doesn't match any known species in the SPD database."

"You sure this is guys an Alienizer then," Boomer asked.

"Those witnesses also saw a group of Anaroids with him."

"So we have an unknown species committing crimes," the Major told them. "I would have let DekaRail handle this but like I said it is this is our backyard."

"We might want to get a holding cell ready," Dan said. "With crimes this small I don't think we'll be ordered to eliminate an unknown alien."

"You never know in our line of work Cap," the Major told him. "But we'll have one ready just in case.

***

Dressed in civvies and the bare minimum equipment they hit the streets. The businesses that were hit were small grocery stores and delis so they concentrated their search there. After they arrived Dan said, "Alright let's split. Ace, take D.E. and Boomer and check in that direction. Rev you're with me. Remember we have no idea who we're dealing with here so be careful. I don't want any mistakes on this one."

"Rodger," Ace replied as they headed off.

Dan and Rev walked off in the other direction. He shined his light down any alley Rev heard something in. After a few minutes of silence Dan asked, "Are we still cool Rev?"

"I'm not sure what you mean Captain."

"After I told you guys how I was like before I was put in this unit."

"Ah," he said. "Yes Captain we are still 'cool'." He pointed down another alley and they found nothing. "I do believe people can change Captain. I doubt you would still be in command of this unit if you didn't."

"Thanks again Rev," Dan told him. "I guess I needed to hear somebody else say it. Although the next time somebody calls you that word, tell us about it will you. I'll get the others and we'll talk some sense into them."

"I highly doubt violence is the solution to this particular problem Captain."

"And ignoring it not helping it either," he countered. His License went off before they could continue. "This is Stevens, go."

Ace's voice answered, "Cap we found them."

"Keep an eye on them for now," he ordered. "Rev and I are on our way." He pulled their signal up on the map as they ran for their location. They were holding position inside an alley when Dan and Rev reached them. He peered around the corner and saw a group of Anaroids surround something that looked like a grey insect, except there were extra pinchers coming out of it's back. "Ok guys on my mark," he whispered.

"Captain," Rev said suddenly. Before anybody knew it he was walking out into view with his SP-Shooter in hand. He aimed a fired a shot between one of the Anaroids legs.

The Anaroid jumped and went, "Shit!"

Dan and the others walked around the corner in total confusion. Boomer asked the question they were all thinking, "Since when to Anaroids cuss?"

"They can't," Dan answered.

"Nor do they have heartbeats," Rev added.

"They're human," D.E. blurted. They looked at Dan.

"They're working for an Alienizer," he told them, "go get them." They ran in, the "Anaroids" were no match for them. The alien started to run off and Dan reached out to stop him, grabbing one of it's pincher on it's back. He thought it was going to stop, at least yelp in pain. It kept running and the pincher tore off with ease. Dan looked horrified at the pincher in his hand until he noticed something. The inside was different than the outside. He looked a little closer and muttered, "Foam rubber?"

Dan looked at the fleeing alien and gave chase. Its waddling run was no match for his sprint as he tackled it to the ground. He started ripping things off of the alien trying to find the thing he was looking for. Ace and D.E. tried to stop him. "Cap what are you doing?", Ace demanded.

"Proving a hunch," was all he told them. He kept ripping way until he found a seam and pulled it open. Dan reached inside with both hands and hauled out the guy inside.

"Get this maniac off of me!!!", he shouted while still trying to get away.

"What the hell?", Ace went as her and D.E. looked at each other.

"They're trying to stir up anti-alien sentiments around here," Dan explained. "What better way than have a 'alien' rob a few human businesses."

"So what do we do with these guys then?", D.E wondered out loud.

Dan thought it over for a moment, "We call the police and tell them we made a citizen arrest." He put the cuffs on his runner and dragged him to the others. The "Anaroids" were mask less now as Boomer and Rev were cuffing them.

"Keep this Skag away from me!", one yelled as Rev approached him.

Dan quickly got in his face, "I hear you call him that again and you'll be tasting boot leather after they remove my foot from your ass. Do you understand me?"

He didn't answer, but he did spit on him. Dan pushed him toward Rev to cuff. Then an Igadroid dropped from the sky and looked at them. "Friend of yours?", Boomer asked.

"That was a five story drop," D.E. informed him.

"A guy can hope can't he?"

"Change standby," Dan ordered. They pulled their OpsLicense and said, "Emergency! DekaOps!" A quick digital flash later they were in their Dekasuits. Dan wasted no time in telling them, "Take that bot down!"

The Igadroid moved faster than they did. It knocked Boomer into the wall, ducked Dan's attack and kicked Rev toward the human. D.E. got his D-Rod out to block the cross blade coming at his head. Ace got in a few shots with her D-Shooter that made it recoil form impact. "Get away from me humans!", it shouted as it swung it cross blade around. Dan and Boomer aimed their D-Shots at the bot while it aimed the cross blade at the humans. "Drop your weapons now humans,' it ordered.

Boomer looked over to Dan, he was looking at the emitter that popped out of the cross blade. Slowly he lowered the D-Shot and Boomer did the same. "Idiots," it said and fired anyway.

"No!" Rev shouted as he jumped in front of them and took the full brunt of the blast. He fell to the ground clutching his chest.

"Rev!", Ace shouted.

"That Skag just saved us," one of them said totally bewildered.

D.E. energized his D-Rod and sliced through the emitter before it could fire again. Boomer fired his D-Shot, making sure he didn't hit the captives. While it was staggering Dan and Ace pulled their D-Knife and went in. She stabbed it in the back of the neck while he impaled his blade into it's chest. The Igadroid stood there and sputtered while they withdrew their knives. "Boomer strikeout," Dan said quickly. Boomer complied and deleted the bot on the spot.

"Rev!", Dan and Ace ran over to him.

"Is the Skag…" one of the captives started before Dan shot him a look. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I will be fine," Rev answered with a hint of pain in his voice. Dan and Ace helped him to his feet, "My Dekasuit protected me from the worse of it."

Dan nodded and looked at the "Anaroids", "You're lucky he's more forgiving than I am because I don't think I would have bothered." They wouldn't look at him, but a couple of them still shot Rev a nasty look. "Contact the base and have them call the police to pick these bastards up."

Above them Chad Rockwell watched the entire thing. He had that Igadroid especially built to fit his needs. His lips curled into a hateful snarl as he said, "Stevens." His flesh rippled slightly revealing a set of scales before he turned away and became invisible.

***

A few days after all that went down Dan convinced the Major to let them have another night on the town. His saying he take care of Ace's request for the next two weeks sealed the deal. At them moment him, Michelle, Ace, Rev and D.E were sitting at a table waiting for Boomer and Lisa to show up. After awhile D.E. ended up asking, "So why did you arrange this night on the town Cap?"

"The more I thought about it the more I realized Ace was right and we needed to relax a bit outside of the base."

"Thank you," she said.

He might as well be honest with as well, "And I thought I might try mending some bridges after you guy found out about the way I thought before I joined SPD."

"Come on Dan," Michelle said, "There's no need to do anything like that."

"Yeah Cap," D.E. agreed, "none of us care about what you were like before. We're just happy you're the guy you are now. Besides you couldn't have been that bad if you realized what kind of jackass you were being."

"I believe I told you something similar the other day Captain," Rev said.

"I know you did Rev, but it just seems like yesterday that that I was believing those things."

"Hey you did change though," Michelle told him. "Not a whole lot of people can say they were strong enough to do that." The others agreed with her.

Ace looked over her shoulder and said, "There's Boomer and Lisa. I'll see if we can add a couple of more orders to our bill."

As she got up Cap got his first look at the woman in Boomer's life. "That's Boomer fiancé?"

Michelle went, "Yeah that's her."

"What deal with which devil did me make?"

She lightly slapped him on the arm, "Behave yourself."

"Hey guys," Boomer said as they walked up. "This is Lisa. Lisa this is…"

"Let me guess," she told him as they sat down. "D.E. I know. So you must be Cap," Dan nodded, "Michelle," they shook hands, "And you most definitely have to be Rev."

"A pleasure," he replied.

"Cap doesn't look like the pit bull you described him to be hon," she said to Boomer who eyes went wide with fright.

"Oh really?", Dan said leaning foreword a bit. Boomer tried to sink into his seat.

"I… I… I never said that Cap," he said quickly. "Hand to God."

"I'm just joking honey," she said. Dan didn't look convinced, but this was their night out. He wasn't going to let this affect things back at base, much. "Bobby was telling me about your last case." She turned to Rev, "I hope that didn't paint too much of a negative picture of humanity for you Rev."

"I traveled the universe enough to know that such closed minded individuals are not just on Earth. You learn to, as I believe Robert would say, roll with the punches. That is the correct term?"

"Picture perfect buddy," D.E. told him.

Dan just happened to look over to see some guy grab a handful of Ace's butt as she walked back to the table. "Oh hell, D.E., Boomer let's go." They quickly got up and headed over.

"Do they think they need to save Ace from that guy?", Lisa asked. When they looked back over Ace had the guy in a hammerlock and up against that table saying he just tried to feel up a cop.

"No," Michelle said, "they're going to save that guy from Ace."

"I must say though," Rev spoke up, "Earth does have the most diverse set of… personalities I have ever come across."

"Very diplomatic Rev," Michelle told him.

"I do try", Rev told her.


	16. Chapter 16

Special Police DekaOps

15

A balding heavyset man was changing the papers of the birdcages in his pet shop when he looked out the glass door. From the look of things a young woman was trying to convince her blond male friend to enter. Based on the brief discussion it looked like she won, but she still had to drag him into the shop. He quickly hurried behind the counter as the bell over the door signaled their entry. "Hello," he greeted them, "and how are you today?"

The young man put a hand over his nose, "You have got to be kidding me."

"You promised," the woman scolded him. The shopkeeper gave them a quick once over. Seeing how the guy was dressed he was definitely from money. The woman was obviously using him for that money if he had to guess.

"Alright chica, damn you're pushy," the man still sounded a bit annoyed.

"Are we looking for anything in particular?", he asked trying to get the sale before they blew up.

"You're going to have to ask her," the man said. Then he was dragged over to the birdcages.

"It's a very good time to buy a bird. The weather is still nice and you don't have to hurry and get it home." They ignored him as they went through the entire store.

"Same old, same old," she sounded disappointed and walked toward the door.

"Sorry for wasting your time dude," the man said following.

"Perhaps the lady is looking for something a little more exotic?" , he blurted out before they reached the door. Why did he say that? That could come back and bite him in the ass before he knew it, but he couldn't let a sale get passed him that easy.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," the guy said.

"Hush," the woman said. "How exotic, because I'm not looking for a monkey."

"How about… shall we say," he spoke in a quieter tone, "out of this world."

"How out of this world?"

"I shouldn't do this but I like how the two of you look together." Quickly going to the door he looked outside before flipping the sign to close. Nervously he went back to the couple and led them to the store room at the back of the store.

"Holy shit," the guy said as it looked like his eyes were about to come out of their sockets. Various alien creatures were being held in cages. They looked on in wonder as they studied each one. "Wait," the guy said suddenly, "are we safe? I mean I keep hearing about space germs and shit."

"Perfectly safe I assure you," he said. "Their immunized before they arrive."

"How come you don't keep them out front?", the woman asked.

"Some pesky laws," he answered honestly. "You know how it is."

"You think they have something better to do," the young man agreed.

"Baby look at this one," the woman called him over. The cage she was in front of had a lizard type creature with blue fur and tiger like stripes. It looked at them, its eyes almost pleading with them. "It's so adorable," the woman looked liked she fell in love with the thing. If he read the couple right the sale had already been made.

"What," the man waved a hand in front of his face, "is it?"

"Something called a Trillian tree hugger, it's very hard to get one of these let me tell you."

"And that sounds expensive," the guy commented.

"Oh please baby, it's so cute," the woman pleaded. "I'll let you do that thing you like to do in bed tonight."

The guy rolled his eyes, but looked like he was giving in. "I have got to learn to say no to you," he mumbled as he reached inside his jacket.

"Ah," he stopped him, "I hope you understand, but for something like this you don't want to leave a paper trail. If you get my drift."

"Gotcha," he said sounding like he understood. When he pulled his hand out he still had his wallet in it. The shopkeeper gawked as he flipped it open revealing a Springfield Police badge. "But I got another type of trail in mind.

"What… who…," he sputtered.

"Let's start with the trafficking of illegal animals," he said sternly. "And top it off with trying to sell a highly intelligent species as a pet."

"I am not…"

He cut him off, "You just tried to sell us one of them."

"It can't even talk," the shopkeeper argued.

"It communicates with hand gestures." Before he knew it the shopkeeper pushed him to the ground and ran out the back door.

The woman ran after him pulling a black SPD License out of her purse. "Ace, he's running, heading… uh," she took a quick look at the License read out, "west."

"I see him," she replied, "I'll have Boomer head him off and pick him up, Ops5 out."

She turned around and saw her partner get up, "An old fat man pushed me down, I am never going to live that one down."

"They're not going to hear about it from me Dan," she assured him.

"Thanks Michelle," Dan told her.

"Actually I'm saving that one for myself," she teased.

Dan ignored her and pulled out his OpsLicense, "Rev, get in here." He closed it and opened it again to show the caged being his SPD badge, "We're here to get you out of here." The creature stood on it's hind legs and started gesturing wildly with his arms. "Sorry, I don't read the language, but my friend a Zalmanian who studied on your planet." The alien nodded in understanding. "Michelle, see if you can find the key to get this cage open."

"I already found them." As she tried each one she said, "My first undercover assignment, it was kinda exciting."

"At least your pride's still intact."

"So, am I going to get a private performance review later?", she said with a wicked grin.

Dan sighed, "We're still on the clock."

***

The Major watched Rev communicate with their visitor on the monitor. OpsBase interrogation room wasn't definitely being put to a different use then he expected. If it wasn't for the idea this ring was selling sentient beings they wouldn't have gotten the report. "How is Rev keeping up with that?", he heard Boomer ask. Seeing how fast their guest was communicating with his hands he had to agree.

"As long as he understands him, that's all that counts Boomer."

Dan put his OpsLicense back into it's holder as he walked toward them. "D.E. just reported in," he informed him. "He was able to listen in on the shopkeeper interrogation."

"Guess it's a good thing he still has friends in the department," the Major commented.

Dan nodded, "The guy talked alright but he didn't know much. We have a dock number and a very vague description of the seller. The person he deals with is human but I told D.E. to give the description to Michelle."

"Have her check out the dock too," The Major added. "See what type of vessels have been dropping off cargo there and where they came from."

"You're assuming she wasn't going to do that anyway," Dan said with a smirk. Major Pierce grunted in agreement. They watched as Rev read the little alien movements for a few more minutes. Before long he spoke to somebody off screen. A few minutes later Ace walked into the Command Room from the holding area looking a little stunned.

"So what's the word Ace?", Pierce asked.

"Well," she started slowly, "If Rev understood him right one of his own put him in that cage."

"Wait," Dan interrupted her trying to understand, "somebody from his own race put him in that position?" She nodded.

"He must have pissed somebody off," Boomer commented.

"Close," Ace said. "He stumbled on the operation as they were loading the animals they captured onboard their ship. Instead of getting rid of him they decided to sell him."

"That's one way to keep him quiet," The Major commented. "Did our visitor happen to say where they were keeping him once they got planetside?"

"All he remembers seeing is the cave and a jungle," she told them.

"Well that really narrows it down," Dan muttered as he turned away.

"Michelle will pinpoint the location," The Major assured him. "But at the moment she's having SPD command contact his home world to arrange transport home."

"I'll tell D.E. to head back then," Dan said.

"And I'll get the Shepard ready to launch in the mean time," Ace added.

"Good," Pierce nodded. Glancing back at the monitor he added, "Somebody see if our guest needs anything."

***

Michelle was able to get into the shipping database and trail where the different ships came from and find out where they went with no problem. Using that information and what their guest was able to tell them she was able to narrow the search down to a few islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. She highlighted the ones that were known to be uninhabited and outside the usual shipping lanes as likely targets. Now if they only didn't have five Islands to check out that were on top of the list. And international waters meant the job was theirs alone.

The first three islands turned out to be dead ends. The fourth didn't seem like much as they approached. But they could see the mountains and the jungle foliage as they got closer. Then again so did the other three so none of them got their hopes up. After a few more moments something on D.E. console started to beep. "I'm getting an energy signature," he announced. "It's faint one, but I'm getting one."

"Any ships or submarines in the area?", Dan asked wanting to eliminate any possibility of a misread.

"I'm not getting any kind of chatter on the usual channels," Boomer said.

"Rader and sensor say the area is clear," Ace added. "Rev, D.E. I'm going to circle the island a couple of time. Run a full scan."

"Rodger," Rev replied.

"On it," D.E. answered.

Dan pulled up the sensors reading on the monitor in front of him as they came in. The island itself was unremarkable, but there was an energy signature coming from it. If he had to guess he'd say it was a generator of some sort. Rev confirmed there were life signs. It read out as alien so chances were good they found their target. Dan plugged his License into the console beside him and downloaded a rough map of the island based on the sensor readings. Ace looked over the readings herself, "I'm not seeing an area big enough for a LZ."

"And the foliage looks too tense too tense for a hot drop," Dan commented. "I don't suppose this bird has any water landing capabilities that I missed when I went over the specs."

"I heard there was there were plans to add them," Ace told him. "But it involved a major redesign, and the Major didn't think we had time to wait for a new jet."

"Too bad he wasn't a little more patient," Dan muttered.

"The best I can do is hover over the small beach right there," she pointed at the screen, "and let you guys off. While you guys check it out I can try to find a place to land."

"Alright, "Dan agreed, "but keep an eye open for any kind of ship that enters the area."

"Right," she punched a code into her console. "D.E. I'm transferring weapon control to my station. I don't have the aim he does but I can lay down some cover fire if I have too." Ace had the Shepard hover until the ramp was a few feet off the ground. As the others jumped to the ground Dan gave her quick salute before joining them. She reactivated the cloak and took the jet back into the air. "Make it quick guys."

***

The humidity was starting to make their uniform to stick to their bodies. Dan had them stick to the shadows as much as possible so their black uniforms wouldn't stick out as much. Checking their location on the map he saw they were close to the energy reading. Then he felt it, something felt like it lightly brushed against his mind. Needles to say, that freaked him out a bit. D.E. felt it too as he grabbed his head "What the hell?"

"I do believe that was a psychic wave of some sort," Rev answered.

Boomer quickly pulled out his SP-Shooter and looked around, "We're we just made?".

"I believe so," Rev told him, "but I am unsure by whom." Slowly he started looking in a direction that led deeper into the jungle, "But it would explain why I have a sudden urge to head in this direction."

"That's the same direction as the energy source we detected," Dan said eyeing the readings.

"Do you think it's a trap Captain?", Rev asked.

"That's what my guts telling me at the moment."

"Wouldn't whoever doing that make your gut say something else?", D.E pointed out.

"Something could be making you say that, "Boomer countered.

"And this is getting us no where," Dan told them. "Either way we have to head in that direction" Drawing his SP-Shooter he headed off, "Keep you eyes open and try to ignore any sudden urges."

They found a mouth of a cave nearby. Dan studied the ground leading into the cave, people were going in and out alright. Recently too from the looks of things. Another push grazed their minds, this one seemed clearer then the previous one for some reason. Dan suddenly found an image of a furry alien of some sort in his memory. "I recognize this species Captain," Rev said. "They are called Marakins and are said to be telepathic."

"Is this the one in charge?"

Rev answered almost as soon as he finished talking, "I do not believe so Captain." He was silent for a few seconds, when he started talking again he sounded a little distant. "No she is not, she was captured by accident. The head of the operation knew he couldn't sell her because of her abilities. So far she's been able to convince her captors not to kill her but she is unsure how much longer she will be able to do so."

"Can she tell us what to expect in there?". Before he knew it an image of inside of the cave entered his mind. He felt the dusty air and how it smelled. He saw rows of cages standing on top of each other all containing various species from all over the universe. He also knew where the guards were at the moment and the circle of cages in the middle where the leader dwelled. Putting a hand to his temple he said, "That was freaky."

"Captain," Rev said calmly, "I recognized most of the creatures surrounding the leader. They are on the endangered species list in several galaxies."

"So going in gun blazing is out of the question then?", Boomer joked.

"Pretty decent strategy," D.E. said, "surround yourself with targets more valuable than you are. So how are we going this one?"

Dan thought it over and opened one of the pockets on his pant leg. Taking his hand out he opened it revealing two devices that clipped on behind the ear. The others nodded and took out similar devices, except Rev who had to have a model that attached to the nubs on the side of his head. It was SPD tech from the planet Leslie they gotten a hold of a couple of months ago. As he was attaching them to his head Rev said, "She agrees that this is the wisest course of action." He felt a bit annoyed at that so Rev added, "She apologizes for the intrusion."

***

"Would you be careful," said a robot as it translated the arm movements of the furry lizard in charge. "These animals are priceless/valuable. They cannot be damaged/hurt."

"But boss…", on oh the newer human workers said to the robot.

"Look at me," the robot said as the lizard talked. "I am who you address. Not this robot/machine."

"Sorry," his eyes darted back and forth between the two of them. "But they're just a bunch of animals."

"These animals/creatures are worth more than you." He nodded his head toward a cage containing a bird with golden yellow feathers. "I can purchase/acquire a small planetoid for what it's worth. I can buy and sell you…", the robot stopped translating as the leader stopped moving. When he started talking again his movements where slow and cautious, "What is that noise?" While the others were looking up around eye level four canisters rolled by their feet. When they stopped a gas quickly released that filled the room in moments. "It's a…. translation unknown," the robot said as the lizard fell asleep and humans fell to the ground.

Dan and the team came out of hiding, each wearing a mask that covered the lower half of their face. Boomer nudged one of the humans with his foot as he passed him. D.E. looked at the sleeping animals before pulling out a set of handcuffs and headed for the closest human. After a few moments Dan checked the air and saw it was clear, hitting a button on one of the clips the mask retracted. Looking over the scene he went, "Rev…"

He was already waving a scanner around, "I am detecting no abnormal life signs. The gas had no ill effect that I can see."

"Good, I didn't want to hurt these guys by accident."

Boomer kind of snorted and said, "This had to be the easiest assignment we ever had."

"Warning," the robot announced as it came back to life, "intruders detected, defensives online." Two grenades launched from it's shoulders forming a group of Anaroids

D.E. punched Boomer in the arm, "Ow! Nobody told you to hit me."

"They were thinking it."

They got in a circle with their backs to each other. "Change standby," Dan ordered and they all reached for their License. "Emergency! DekaOps!" They charged foreword as a Digital covered them in their DekaSuits. Dan's hand gripped the handle of the D-Colt, but he stopped. He didn't want to worry about a stray shot hurting somebody. So he reached back into his backpack and pulled out his D-Rod. Activating the red energy field around it he started swinging away.

Rev had jumped up and landed on the chest of one of the Anaroids and made it crashed to the ground. He kicked another one away when an image grazed his mind. Stepping foreword and pivoting around he jammed his D-Knife into a Anaroid's head, right under the chin. Taking a moment he looked at the just awaking Marakin, "Thank you."

Boomer was stabbing away at anything that looked metal and mean. Seeing D.E. was having some trouble he rushed over and helped his friend, "You're lucky I don't hold a grudge." Together they were able to clear a spot to get some breathing room. "Looks like you owe me one."

Without warning D.E. shot past him at the Anaroid that was sneaking up on Boomer. Tilting his head a bit he snorted, "Not any more."

"I would've saw him."

Dan struck down the last Anaroid in his path, looked around for another target and found nothing. This part of the job was winding down, but he didn't want to fight anything under these conditions unless he had too. The robot surveyed the area, "Primary defensive units have failed. Activating…"

"D.E.," Dan said interrupting it. D.E. took quick aim and shot it in the head, "Thank you."

"No problem," he replied.

Looking around Dan noticed somebody was missing, "No you don't." A quick search found the Lizard trying to get out through a small hole in the cave wall. Grabbing him by the scruff of the next he picked him off the floor, "Got you." The lizard started motioning fast and furious. "Same to you pal," Dan told him. "The only reason why you are not being judge right now is because your government specifically requested you be sent back alive." Boomer pointed something out to Rev and they brought foreword an empty cage. Behind his helmet Dan smiled, "I do believe they call this poetic justice." Dan put him I the cage and Boomer locked the door. Deactivating their DekaSuits Dan said, "Come on, let's find the sentients and let them out of their cages. Start with the Marakin and ask her for help." They nodded and spread out.

They contacted Ace and told her to get in touch with OpsBase to make travel arrangements as soon as possible. Rev was giving all the captured creatures a quick medical exam to make sure they were all right. Dan and the others, on the other hand, were trying hard to convince some of them that they were who they said they were. "Look see," Dan said showing the badge on his chest to a brown turtle with a beak, "SPD, we're part of the good guys. Granted it's a color you never seen before, but we are the good guys." Almost ready to give up he looked around, "Where's that Marakin when you need her?"

"Hey!", Boomer cried out as a green lizard in a brown robe took another swing at him. "He's trying to stab me with a butter knife."

"I believe the term they use is 'doink'", Rev commented.

"Yeah and I'm about to shove that doink right up his…"

"Easy Boomer," Dan cut him off.

"Ah, Robert," Rev said, "There is a saying in the universe. When one of his kinds is in your path, find another way to your destination."

"It's ok little fella," D.E. said to an alien that looked like a blue hairless monkey. "You got nothing to worry about. Rev just wants to check you over." Out of no where it wrapped it's arms around his right leg and D.E. body stiffened as he got a mortified look on his face. "Could somebody get him off my leg please."

Dan looked over from where he was standing, "I had a dog that used to do that."

Boomer grinned ear to ear, "Looks like you made a friend."

"Just get him off my leg," D.E. said through his teeth.

"Ok you heard him, the honeymoon's over," Boomer reached for the alien who open it's mouth revealing a set razor sharp teeth. It took a couple of bites at his hand. Boomer pulled it back clutching his fingers, "Whoa!"

"Boomer," D.E. pleaded.

"Yeah, maybe when he's finished."

***

Michelle was already in the hanger as the Machine Shepard came in for a landing. The animals were already taken care of and those who were imprisoned against there will were staying at or currently heading to various SPD embassies awaiting transport home. Dan started down the ramp when he stepped aside to let D.E. fly past him. Everybody saw that his right pant was cut off, right above the knee. "D.E. what happened…," she started to ask.

"Don't ask," he told her as he shot past. A few of the hanger crew started making a few cat calls in his direction. "Oh shut up," he told them. As he exited a couple of female officers past him and whistled. Michelle looked at Dan and pointed at the door totally confused.

"You really don't want to ask," he told her. Without looking he pointed behind him right at Ace and Boomer and said sharply, "And you two really don't want to say anything."

"How does he do that?", Boomer asked Ace who just shrugged and headed for her crew.

"Why do I get the feeling the Major in for an interesting report," Michelle said dryly.

"That feeling would be right," Dan told her. "Now if you will excuse me I need to get the smell of animal crap out of my nose."

"Now there's a lovely image." She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek, "You're not on the clock now as far as I'm concern so don't say anything. After you give the Major that report I'm taking you outside for some fresh air to get rid of that scent. And I'm not taking no for an answer 'baby'."

"Didn't even know that was an option 'chica'," Dan said as he followed her out.

"Good thing D.E. and Boomer weren't around to see that. We have a mess to pick up in here," Ace told one of her crew. He nodded in agreement.


	17. Chapter 17

Special Police DekaOps

16

It was a quiet couple of days and most of the OpsBase personnel were trying to find something to do to keep themselves busy. Ace kept her crew busy by upgrading the Machine Shepard and Hounds systems. D.E. was in the practice range keeping his skills sharp. Rev sat in the rec room reading a medical text while Boomer, who got all his work done early, played a game on the television screen. Rev watched his friend play and felt his finger twitch slightly.

After signing his name to the last piece of paperwork on his desk Dan was called to the Command Room. Michelle gave him a slight smile as he entered that he returned before going all business again. "What's the emergency?", he asked.

"We're not sure yet," the Major answered. "SPD satellites have been getting a strange energy reading inside the Andes Mountains inside Peru."

"I'm linking up to the next satellite that's scheduled to pass over the area in a few moments," Michelle announced. A few keystrokes on the keyboard later and the big screen came to life. A mountain range appeared and the image froze a second later. Various readouts flashed over the image as Michelle's fingers danced over the keyboard.

"Any luck Michelle?", the Major asked.

"I'm running the energy signature through every database we have now," she told him. "Nothing," she said after a few minutes sounding disappointed in herself," the reading too faint to make out clearly. I think some sort of damper be involved here."

"That's what Command thinks as well," Pierce informed her. "That's why we've been asked been asked to investigate."

"Get in, check it out and if we have to take it out," Dan said knowing the drill all too well. "I'll get the team ready to launch."

"Just remember," Pierce said, "Peru is neutral about SPD right now. They're not against us but they're not exactly for us either. So watch out for the local authorities."

"Right," Dan replied and saluted before leaving the room.

"I don't know how you keep all that straight," Michelle commented. "I need a score card half the time to remember which countries are Pro SPD and which aren't."

"The trick is remembering which countries are against us," He told her. "Everybody else you got a fifty-fifty chance of getting it right."

Looking at him in disbelief she asked, "How did you make Major again?"

"Funny, Helen keeps asking me that same question."

***

The Machine Shepard was in the air and disappeared from sight as the ground beneath them closed. Inside the cockpit Ace brought the rear engines to life as she swung them around toward their destination. As usual Michelle feed them information until the reach they reached the boarder. "We are now in silent ops mode," Boomer announced. "When was the last time I said I hated this part?"

"We all find this a little unnerving Robert," Rev told him.

"I think it's the fact that something could happen to us and nobody would know about it," Ace added, then shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"Let's keep those thoughts to a minimum," Dan told them. "We done this before, there's no point on dwelling about this now."

"You're right," Ace agreed. She changed the subject, "So what's the plan?"

"We stay together until we find out target. Once we find out what it is we'll devise a plan to deal with it."

"Hmm," D.E. grunted, "that's a little looser than what we usually do."

"Unfortunately there's this gapping hole in the intel Michelle couldn't fill in. Like it or not we're going in a little blind for this one."

"I really want to vote no," Boomer said.

"So do I," Dan thought out loud.

***

That hole didn't get any smaller when they reached Peru and Ace did a fly by of the area. She Landed the Shepard as close as she could and they headed out on foot. As a precaution Dan told Boomer to key into the local frequencies. After about a half hour of climbing they reached a small area where they could survey the area easily. Checking a scanner that was linked to the Shepard's senor reading they could see the signal was getting a little stronger, but not by much. Dan figured Michelle's guess about that dampening field was right on the money. "Do you think it might be a cloaking device?", Ace asked after she saw the reading. "That would explain why we didn't see anything as we passed by."

"Possibly," Dan was thinking along the same lines, "But what could it be hiding." Putting the scanner into pocket on his chest he waved them foreword. Going higher on the ridge Dan took a moment and reached into another pocket and opened up a small set of binoculars. They had to be getting close to whatever the hell it was.

"What's that over there?", D.E. asked as he pointed at something. Dan looked over in that direction and focused as Ace and D.E. pulled out their own binoculars.

One thing was for sure, it wasn't cloaking device. But it was camouflaged to look like part of the mountain side. Feeling a cold spot form in his stomach Dan went, "Tell me that's not what I think it is."

"Oh shit," Ace muttered as she got a good look.

"Boomer," he jumped a little as Dan said his name, "Get ready to send a message back to base. I'm breaking silent op."

***

The Major hurried back to he Command Room when Michelle called him, "They couldn't be done already," he said.

"Dan sent a video message," she informed. "We won't be able to reply."

Knowing something was wrong Pierce steadied himself for the moment, "Play the message."

Dan's image appeared on screen. He had a worried look on his face as he kept looking at something off camera. "Ops1 to OpsBase. We have a situation here." He looked lost for words for a moment as he pointed the camera toward something. In the mountainside somebody built a huge construction frame that was structured with several levels. Inside was something huge, the bottom part was fully covered but the upper part a skeletal like frame was showing the machinery inside. "A monster mech is being built on site, I repeat a monster mech is being built on site. We're going to try to determine the status of the power and weapon systems." There was a pause before he continued, "We'll do what we can to slow them down, but if that thing is fully functional we might need a little help on this one. Ops1 out."

"Oh my god," Michelle said as the message ended.

"Get me Meng Yeow and Row," the major ordered. "I don't care who you have to wake up get them on the line ASAP. I'll advise Numa-O and SPD command of the situation."

***

Tensions were high as the Ops team studied the camera feed and sensor readings on the build site. The one question going through their minds was how did something like this go unnoticed for so long? Dan wasn't positive but he estimated that even with robot labor working around the clock it would take a few months to build one of those things. Of course he's been wrong before. "Looks like a Devil type to me," D.E. said out loud. Dan just grunted as he studied the images.

"Why don't we just blast the thing," Ace said suddenly. "That thing not even fully armored yet. I know the Shepard laser can do some damage."

"But what do we aim at?", Dan countered. "And more importantly how do we know it can't shoot back if we miss?"

"No offence Cap, but sitting on our asses isn't getting anything done," she told him.

"I'm aware of that Ace. Unfortunately we're not equipped to take that thing head on."

"I keep telling you we need a robot," Boomer muttered. Dan and Ace found themselves agreeing with him.

"We still need to discover it's current capabilities," Rev reminded them.

"And to do that we need to get in there and find out," Ace said. "Not to mention slow down construction some how."

"I knew there was a plan in here somewhere," D.E. said out of the blue. They looked at him wondering what he was talking about. He happily explained, "While no team in the galaxy has been able to capture a complete mech, there been enough of them around that SPD been able to put together a rough blue print of what's inside it."

"Please tell me you can find a weak spot," Ace pleaded.

"Not from plans this rough," he informed her.

Boomer looked like he got an idea, "Can you show where the power core is?"

"Give me a second," D.E. hit a couple of controls and the schematics he pulled up appeared on screen. A part of the inside was flashing red, "Right about there."

"Can you tell if it's active?"

"Let me check."

"What do you got in mind Boomer?", Dan asked.

"I'm thinking if the core's active we could cause a meltdown or something."

"That's nut," D.E. exclaimed

"Not to mention dangerous," Rev added.

"And it might be our only option," Ace told them.

"There has to be another option," Rev argued.

"Unless this bird can transform into an eighty foot mech I'm not seeing another one," Dan said plainly.

After a minute or so D.E. finally spoke back up, "Well what ever is blocking the reading is still in effect, but I think I'm getting two readings that look like active energy cores."

"One for the frame and one for the mech," Dan said. "Alright we're going with Boomer's plan." He cut Rev off with a wave of his hand before he could protest. "We still have to gather intel on that thing. We might as well cause as much damage as we can while we're at it. Boomer, try to find out what type of core that might be using. Rev, you and me will be accompanying Boomer carrying extra explosives just in case he needs more. Ace, you and D.E. stay on board the Shepard. You guys are officially Plan B if this doesn't work."

"Rodger," Ace replied.

"Give us two hours. If you don't hear from us by then assume we failed and do whatever damage you can. We only got one shot at this so we better make it count. And Rev one more thing."

"Yes Captain."

"If you haven't already, start saying some prayers to the Great Spirit. We're going to need any favors we can get."

***

Figuring resistance was going to be thick on this one they activated the Dekasuits as soon as they started, Dan and Rev carrying bags containing extra explosives. Dan threw the sky probe ahead of them to cut down on any surprises. And there were plenty, every few yards they had to stop and find cover to avoid the patrols of Anaroids and Batsuroids. Dan held the D-Colt tightly in his hands but didn't dare take a shot, not without getting swamped. Hiding behind some boulders as they got close he checked the image sent by the probe. At what looked like an entrance Two Batsuroids stood guard. Not that they were planning in going in the front door anyway. Then Rev pointed out that the Frame looked like it was built into the mountain itself. Dan redirected the probe to a level that looked like a potential entry point and didn't see any guards in the immediate vicinity.

Waiting until the patrols passed they hurried across and started climbing to a higher level before making there way across to the frame. It took awhile but slowly they made it to the frame, jumped over the rail and quickly checked for any patrols. After checking the readings one more time they headed for the core. After a few yards Rev saw something and whispered, "Captain."

"What is it Rev?"

"I recognize that device," he pointed to a square panel on the wall with a glowing orb in the middle, various wires were going in and out of it. "It distributes and regulates power. Perhaps destroying some of these will slow them down."

"Good idea Rev," Boomer said as he reached into his pack and pulled out a small explosive pack. "You guys might want to pay attention you in particular Rev," he said as he fixed the pack under the panel then inserted a small metal cylinder into it. He pressed a button and the top started flashing red. "If you see another one of these things do it just like that. In fact if you see anything that looks important put a charge on it. And make sure you put a receiver into it, I'm going to set it so they all go off at once, and we get time to high tail it out of here."

"Just try to be picky on where you set the charges," Dan told them. "I'm not sure how many Boomer's going to need." He peered around the corner before waving them on. The target was a few stories above them and they needed to get going.

Much like they figured they were forced to take the long way around. Occasionally they stop just long enough to set a charge on something Rev pointed out. Dan spotted a computer and slapped a D-Hack that was hooked to the Shepard on it and a bomb right next to the Hack just in case. After an hour they found the core. They also found what looked like a monitoring station and a couple of Batsuroids and an Igadroid. "Oh great," Dan mumbled.

"Is there another way to the core?", Rev asked.

"Not according to the plans D.E. pulled up," Boomer answered. They didn't have a choice now.

Dan only said one thing, "Make every shot count," Than ran in. Catching the bots as unaware as they could they fired first. Dan and Rev had to dodge a couple of return shots but all of them were taken out. "Do it Boomer."

"On it," he said as he took the bags from them and headed into the guts on the mech.

"Monitoring station 8-C report," a voice from no where said. A quick search saw that it was coming from a comm panel on the station. "8-C report."

Dan hit the comm button, "Monitoring staion 8-C reporting," and prayed to God that was the right was to answer.

"A commotion was detected coming from you area, report."

"There was no commotion… we had a minor leak in the core."

"I am not registering a leak in the core," Dan cursed under his breath. "I'm sending a repair team to investigate."

"Negative, the leak is already repaired. It was a small leak and easily repairable. It's good, we're fine… how are you?" Dan winced at his mistake while Rev looked at him in confusion.

"How am…? Who is this? What is your designation?"

"Ah…," Dan stepped back and shot the comm panel. "That conversation wasn't going any were any way," he muttered as he headed for the opening Boomer used. "Boomer we got incoming!", he shouted.

"Give me a few more minutes!", he shouted back.

"I don't think we have a few more minutes!"

"No offence Cap, but make them!"

"What do we do Captain?" Rev asked.

Shaking his head Dan switched the D-Colt to multi-shot, "We buy him some time." They started positioning things so they have some cover and waited. Re unhooked his D-Shot. Dan kept looking down the corridor to the core expecting to hear shot being fired from inside there. Finally an Anaroid came through the door in front of them and Rev blasted it. Another one took it's place and Dan nailed it between the eyes. Both of them knew it wasn't going to be long before they realize this particular line of attack was useless.

In the core Boomer was busy setting charges. Fortunately the core being used was in the database and he had a good idea where to set the charges. Destroying the core would be good enough but he wanted to cause the maximum amount of internal damage possible. If he was lucky there would be some feedback that would fry other systems. Setting the last charge he had one more thing to do, place the remote detonator. And he had to set it high to make sure the signal reached all of the charges. Using a nearby ladder he made his way up and found a pallet he could set the detonator and hide it a bit. Running a quick check to make sure the damping field wouldn't interfere with the signal he got a lock on all of the charges they set. Boomer set the time for twenty minutes, it would be cutting it close but they didn't need to get to the ground floor. Knowing the core would be the first thing the check he left a little surprise before running down the corridor. When he exited Rev pulled him down so he wouldn't get shot. "I'm guessing they called in the Calvary," he said.

"I wouldn't doubt it," Dan said. "Let me guess there's only one way out of here right?", Dan said as he took a shot at an Igadroid that came into view.

"I'm afraid so Cap."

"Then it's time to thin out the heard kid."

"Right," Boomer nodded. Reaching into his back he jumped up and side armed a frag grenade into through the door. After a few second later an explosion went off and they rushed to the door. Rev and Dan both looked out for any moving droids on the floor as Boomer covered the hallway.

"I got point, Boomer watch our backs," Dan ordered. The scanner in his pack started to beep, "Now what?"

Rev checked his, "The damping field is now down. Captain I'm getting a humanoid reading now."

"We'll worry about it later," Dan told him.

"It is heading in our direction."

"Guess whoever in charge wants to lead the troops," Boomer quipped.

"Let's not be here when they arrive," Dan said. "I saw a ladder this way."

"You're not going to hear me argue," Boome told him

***

They were able to go a couple of floors before running into any resistance. Unfortunately this was making them retreat further into the frame. Finding cover they retreated as far as they could into a corridor without exposing themselves. "How much time to we got?"

Boomer clanked at the readout, "Exactly twelve minutes Cap."

"Took us longer than that to get to the core." An explosion could be heard above them, "What the hell?"

"Looks like they just discovered the motion detector mine I set on the ceiling," Boomer answered. "With any luck there should be a nice pile of debris blocking the way."

"Might be the only piece of luck we have at the moment," Dan told him.

"Whoever you are," somebody yelled out, "come out now." Dan recognized him as the one from the comm. "There is no where you can go to escape." They chanced a look and saw a white humanoid standing behind the first row of bots. "We will make it quick as soon as you tell me what you did to sabotage this site. I will give you three minutes to decide."

"That's generous of him," Boomer said dryly.

"Does he truly believe anybody would take that offer?", a bewildered Rev wondered out loud.

Dan watched him move from where he was hiding. "This has to be his first time trying to capture anybody."

"How can you be sure Captain?"

"He's acting nervous, like he unsure of what to do."

"We're outnumbered out the wazoo and he's the one that's nervous?", Boomer asked.

"We don't have time and I'm trusting my gut on this one," he told them. Dan unhooked his D-Shot and got into position to spring out. "As soon as we get close to the door light it up," he ordered. Boomer and Rev nodded and got into position. He ran at the entry and started firing at the first bot he saw. On cue Boomer tossed two flash grenades that temporary disrupted the bots circuits. Using the few moments they had before the reboot they fired point blank. At close range the D-Shots were causing damage to a couple of them at once. They stood close together as the Anaroids and Batsuroids started showing signs of life again. Dan swung the butt of the D-Shot into a Igadroid that got too close, then shot it in the chest for good measures. "Scatter!", he ordered as the circle around them started to tighten. Rev jumped over them and pumped and fired his D-Shot as fast as it would let him, Boomer and Dan ran through a group of Anaroids, turned and fired.

During the whole thing Dan tried to keep an eye on the white alien. He was trying to run but his path kept getting blocked. Knowing they were running out of time he had to chance it. Dan broke away from the fight and stood in front of him. He took his OpsLicense and switched to Judgment mode, "Target orders." The area went dark as the alien was scanned and a red X and a blue circle flashed in front of him. It wasn't long before the circle shined brightly between them, "Apprehend target."

"So you think you're just going to take me in?", he asked. "Do you think you'll be able to get me to talk? Do you think I'll just spill everything I know? You might as well kill me now."

"Just shut up and come quietly," Dan told him.

"Do you think the bosses are going to let anybody who knows about the Kaijuki operation stay alive?"

"I think your overestimating them," Dan told him plainly as he took the D-Whoppers off his belt as he approached.

"You don't get it do you," he started laughing. "I'm already dead." He turned around and ran before Dan could stop him. He jumped over a railing that over looked a shaft of some kind.

"No!", Dan shouted. He ran over and looked down. The alien was laying, with his neck bent at a funny angle several stories below. "Damn it," Dan pounded the pillar next to him.

"Captain," Rev called out, "Robert say the clock is ticking."

"Right," he said as he took his eyes away.

"I saw the entire thing Captain, he was more afraid of his bosses than he was of anything else. Do not blame yourself."He knew Rev was right, but damn it he wanted this one alive.

They ran down a couple of flights of stairs before Boomer called out, "Six minutes."

Dan looked around, "This way, I see daylight." They ran and found themselves on the outside of the frame. And no where near the mountainside.

"Please tell me you got a plan," Boomer begged.

"We take the express," Answered Dan as he reached into his pack and pulled out the rope. While he quickly tied one end to the railing they took theirs out and did the same and tossed the rope over. Climbing over the railing they held the rope so it was behind them and rappelled down the frame as fast as they could. The rope wasn't long enough to reach the bottom, but it was high enough off the ground the drop wouldn't hurt them.

"Four minutes," Boomer shouted as the hit the ground and started running, pushing themselves to their limit. Before long Boomer started counting down, "Ten seconds, five, four, three, two…". They dove for the ground and covered their heads. A second past, then three, four. As they got to their feet Dan and Rev looked at the mech, then at each other and then slowly at Boomer whose eyes never left the mech. "No way, that should have worked," he said as he stormed past them toward the mech. "The equipment was green, all green, that should have worked."

Dan patted him on the shoulder, "Sorry kid, they must have found the detonator. It was a great plan." He turned away and pulled out his License. "Stevens to Shepard, prepare for Plan B."

"Acknowledged Ops1, Shepard…", Ace as cut off by a massive explosion sounded and knocked them to the ground. They looked and saw that it came from the Mech and the frame. Then several more went off as the Mech smoked. "Ops 1 come in! Cap answer me!"

Boomer stared at the sight as other sections went off. Suddenly he jumped up amid the falling debris, "WOOOO! Who's the man?! Who! Is! The! Man!"

Dan shook his head, "Shepard, cancel Plan B and prepare for a pickup."

He looked over at Boomer who was still celebrating. "The timer was off but I don't care!" He jumped on Rev's back, "WOOOO!"

Sighing he added, "And get ready for a long trip home."

Ace chuckled, "Understood Cap, D.E said he'll have the aspirin and the restraints ready when you get aboard."

***

The Major paced around the Command Room waiting for an answer from anybody at this point. Dan, Numa-O, Scorp, an Alienizer who wanted to know what the hell his team was doing. He knew informing the Peruvian government was going to be a headache, but even they had to see that this was dangerous to them and everybody else. He and Michelle nearly jumped when her console went off siganling an incoming transmission. He stood in front of the wall screen as the image split three ways showing a human, a lion-seijin and a bird like alien, DekaRanger's Meng Yeow, DekaRescue's Gyoc Row and Supreme Commander Numa-O. "Were we given the green light by the Peruvian Government?"

Numa-O did not look pleased, "They want more proof before they'll let us inside their boarder."

"The Alineizers has a base inside their country," Row said in disbelief. "How much more proof do they need?"

"More than a weak sensor reading I'm afraid."

"This is Insane," Pierce said out loud.

"I'm sure your team's fine Henry," Meng Yeow said, reading his features. "If half the stories you told us were true than they have the right man leading them."

"I know," he said grateful somebody else said that. "So what do we do now?"

"We tread carefully," Numa-O said. "Earth is one of the few planets in the galaxy with more than one government, so we know how to deal with the situation. But if we have too I will contact Commander Scorp and see if we can use one of the other Ops units."

"We might have another option," Meng Yeow said looking thoughtful. "Row, do you think your Fire Squad program can work here?"

"We're still finalizing things on our end," the Lion answered. "Outside of Ops1 there's not that many red Deka on the planet. The only ones available at the moment are Yeo, Harris and Van Der Gun. Ideally I would want the standard five person unit for this type of thing." He thought it over, "But it could work with a smaller number, and working in concert with Ops it might work out as well."

Before the discussion could continue Michelle spoke up, "Major, I don't want to interrupt, but we just recorded an explosion in Peru." She checked the coordinates to make sure, "Exactly were we originally recorded the energy blip."

"I knew Dan said they try and slow them down, but I didn't think they go that far," said a stunned Pierce.

"I'm guessing those stories are more than half true," Meng Yeow smirked, but looking relieved as well.

"Perhaps now the Peruvian government will have enough proof," Row said. "If we tread carefully,"

Numa-O said, "I believe we will." He chuckled a bit, "Although you're going to have to tell me one of those stories Major Pierce. I get the feeling Trytan's report didn't quite capture him."

"Captain Stevens can surprise you when he wants to," the Major informed him. And to think Dan originally didn't want to be part of this when Pierce recruited him for the job.

They talked for a bit when Michelle spoke up again, "Major we have an incoming transmission from the Shepard."

"Put him on." The screen configuration changed to add an image of a tired looking Dan. Like a professional he hid it when he noticed they wouldn't be talking alone. "Dan, it's good to see you and the team still in one piece."

"And I might add," Numa-O spoke, "an excellent job as well."

"Thank you Commander," he responded. Looking back he added, "My team did a good job on this one."

"Can I ask when you can up with this particular plan Captain," Meng Yeow asked.

"It was Sgt. Parker's, Ops4, idea sir. We're just lucky we were able to pull it off."

"Dan," the Major said, "what the situation now?"

"The upper portion of the Monster Mech was rendered inoperable as far as we could tell. We were going to do a more thorough investigation but Ops4 said the local military and police channels lit up after the explosion went off. I ordered the Shepard cloaked and air born before they arrived. We're currently circling the area just incase that thing still has some life in it."

"A smart decision Dan, keep us informed if there are any changes."

"Rodger," he replied.

"One more thing Captain," Numa-O said "Do you think you put a dent in the construction of Kaijuki on Earth?" Pierce saw the answer in his face before he even spoke.

"Honestly sir, I doubt it. Only one mech was being built and the construction frame didn't look like it went further into the mountain than what it did. But we were able to hack into their computer system while we were there. We should have some type of info for Michelle and the SPD techs to go through once we get back."

"Just some wishful thinking on my part Captain," Numa-O informed him. "Major Pierce I want a copy of this mission report sent to me."

"Will do sir," the Major saluted.

"Good, SPD Command out." His image blinked out leaving the rest of them.

"Word about this is going to spread quickly," Meng Yeow said. "My people are going to wonder what happened."

"As are mine," Row added.

"I don't want to ask this of you two," the Major said, "but I have to ask that you keep some of the details out when you explain it to them."

"You don't want us to tell them about a faulty core Henry?", Meng Yeow said innocently.

"You can't get good parts these days I guess," Row commented.

"I owe you two one," Pierce told them and they ended the conference call on their end.

"I can't say I like that idea Major," Dan said after they were alone. "A couple of people in Squad know about us already, and so far there been no harm done."

"Meng Yeow and Row both know Peru going to be a sticky situation Dan," He told him. "And frankly the less said about us at this point the better."

Dan nodded, "I understand sir. Shepard out."

The screen went blank and pierce tapped the railing, proudly saying, "That's my boy."

Michelle coughed," Actually Major, that may be your team but that my boy." Pierce smiled and left the Command Room still feeling glad that all of them were coming back alive after this one.


	18. Chapter 18

Special Police DekaOps

17

The hallways of OpsBase were pretty quiet compared to the day time. Then again he usually wasn't here at night. Fortunately Helen didn't press the matter when he told her something work related came up. Pierce hated lying to her about what he really did, even if he did give D.E. and Boomer permission to tell their family and fiancé respectively. He did tell her he was part of SPD, only as a military advisor slash negotiator. Maybe he would get up the nerve to tell what her really did with them one of these days. Pushing those thoughts aside he walked the rest of the way to the last door on the right of the field team quarters hallway. He knocked three times, loud enough for him to hear. After several moments, and a couple of muffled noises, the door open and Dan stood there, "Major?"

"I'm sorry to wake you Dan," he took a look at him. Dan was trying to stand in a way that he was blocking the doorway a bit. "Are you alright? You look a little… flushed."

"Perfectly fine," he answered quickly. "So what up?"

"Not good news I'm afraid," he replied. "Rumors are starting to spread that another version of that alien rifle is being sold."

"You're kidding me," Dan said as he lowered his head. "I guess it was a little too much to ask that after we took out the factory that be it."

"You should know better than that Dan, especially in our business." He nodded in agreement. "Seeing how the rumor's still fresh we're getting first crack at it since nobody knows where the new factory is. I thought I give you a heads up seeing how that why you were originally assigned here."

"Right," Dan said. "I'll let Michelle know right away so she can get looking."

"I'll tell her," Pierce told him, "her door's right over there."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Dan said quickly, then looked at a loss for words.

"Why not?", Pierce asked raising an eyebrow.

"Because…", he trailed off while his eyes glanced back into his room, "she… told me it was a really bad idea to wake her up in the middle of the night. I'll wake her… she might go easier on me."

"I'll take my chances," the Major told him as he continued for Michelle's room.

Behind him Dan stepped back and waved Michelle out of his room. Quickly and quietly she made her way to the woman's restroom door and tried to act like she was just coming out. "Major Pierce, I thought I heard you out here. Is there anything wrong?"

"I'll fill her in," Dan quickly volunteered.

"Right," he said slowly. "I'll be in my office for the time being."

Dan gave him a quick salute while Michelle nodded her head. Then she made her way over to him and softly said, "Do you think we fooled him?"

Before Dan could answer the Major called out from down the hall, "Not for a second." Both of their faces went red as Dan started to scratch the back of his head.

***

Once again he hated this god forsaken planet. It was bad enough he had to be assigned her, now his bosses told he him to check out the new weapon factory set in the coldest part of this miserable country. Wrapping his cloak around him even tighter Chatrox could still feel the cold. He for one would be extremely glad when they would hopefully decide his punishment was over. Locating the building he knocked on the door twice. A panel slid open and a pair of inhuman eyes peered out, "what's the password?"

Why some of them insist on doing this, he would never know. He always hated this part of things and was one of the few things he actually missed about being part of SPD. "Glory to the bosses, may they run things now and forever," he replied. The door open and he walked in. Several guns, many manned by humans surprisingly, were pointed at him. And again he cursed Stevens for destroying his own personal Igadroid. "Don't trust I am who I say I am?"

"I know you," said a slug like being with those inhuman eyes. "You're part of SPD." A few of the rifle holders started looking like they wanted to pull the trigger. He sighed, he knew this was going to happen eventually.

"Not any more in case you haven't heard," he told them.

"You tracked me down and destroyed my operation."

"I was suppose to delete you too if you remember, yet here you are," Chatrox countered. The slug didn't seem to have an argument for that. Looking around the 'factory' he sarcastically said, "Impressive."

"It's hard to get parts up here," the slug said as he kept his weapon trained on the Agent. "Especially after that rumored black badge unit supposedly took out the first one and the supply depot."

"Unfortunately they are not a rumor," Chatrox said distastefully. "I know from personal experience they are quite real. Which was why I was sent here. The bosses realize if they discovered the first one chances are they could locate this one as well."

"So what do we do?"

"'We' do nothing," Chatrox told him. "I on the other hand am to check over the factory and determine what it needs so it doesn't suffer the same fate as the last one."

"Are you looking at this dump?", the slug ask. "I don't think we can afford the bare minimum to get the security it needs."

"Then you have nothing to worry about," Chatrox informed him. "Sales of this particular rifle is very important to the bosses and they are footing the expense for the security upgrade. You have, to use a Earth expression," saying that left a bad taste in his mouth, "a blank check."

***

As soon as she got dressed Michelle was immediately at her station and started searching. Using the information they gathered from the rifle D.E. took apart she looked for anybody ordering similar parts. Whomever it was better at covering their tracks this time around. But not good enough to stump her, not with this equipment at her fingertips. It took a while and she had to look past several dummy companies but she found a possible location, an old fishing town on the coast of upper Alaska. Not as definite as she would have liked but it was a place to start.

They walked into the town more or less unnoticed, although a few were giving Rev a curious look. The real strange looks were being directed at Boomer, who was dressed in full winter gear, pulling up the rear. "Guys wait up," he called after them.

"How long do you think we can get away with ignoring him?", Ace asked.

"And it's cold in case you haven't noticed."

"It's like fifty degrees and you look like a Sherpa," she shot back.

D.E. agreed, "Like I said my family from Oklahoma but even I think you look ridiculous."

"So much for some support from your friends," he frowned.

Rev yawned for the fifth time since leaving the Machine Shepard. "You get enough sleep last night buddy?", D.E. asked.

"I believe so Terry," he replied. "I think the climate might be affecting me some how. My planet does not have a section with this type of temperature." He yawned again, "My apologies Captain, if I suspected this…"

"We'll worry about it in case it becomes a problem," Dan told him. "We're still here to find out if this place has the factory or not. Keep an eye on your scanner and ask the locals if you have too. Somebody bound to have seen something if it's here. Ace take D.E. and Rev and check out the pier and factories on the waterfront. Me and Nanuck of the north here will check out the center of town."

"Cap you too?", Boomer sounded hurt.

"You're the one dressed like that," Dan told him as he walked away.

"He just so spared him from further ribbing by us," Ace said to no one in particular.

"I was thinking the same thing," D.E. told her as he zipped up his jacket a little higher and stuck his hands in his pockets. "It is kinda chilly though."

"Wuss," Ace teased him as Rev yawned behind them.

***

Based on the reaction Rev was getting earlier she was surprised at how many aliens there were in town. Then again there were several polar like planets out there and the inhabitants would have found this comfortable. A couple of them nodded and greeted them as they passed. Every so often they stop and ask a person on the street. This part was tricky, trying to ask if anything suspicious was going on without raising suspicions at the same time. Luckily she thought of a pretty good cover story. "Pardon me sir?", she asked an older gentleman standing in front of a store.

"What can I do for you young lady?", he seemed kind enough.

"I know this is going to sound really strange, but I'm a news reporter. I'm new and I think the station I'm working for just sent me on a joke assignment just to see if I'd actually do it."

The guy laughed, "You have to pay your dues some how little lady. So why did they have you come all the way out here for?"

"Well they told me that there were some strange things going on up here, but they didn't tell me what." She gave him a pleading look, "I don't suppose you've seen anything out of the ordinary?"

"Sorry," he told them. "Outside of the deer running across main street a few days back the place has been pretty quiet. I think there pulling the wool over your eyes."

"I'm starting to think you're right, thanks any way."

"Do you get the feeling the deer thing is like the biggest news this town seen in awhile?", D.E. asked after they walked down the street a bit.

"It does seem like a popular topic so far," Rev commented as he stifled another yawn.

"Rev would you quit it, you're starting to make me sleepy," Ace told him.

"My apologies Trish," he said.

"So what do you think", D.E. asked, "is this a dead end?"

"Unless we pick up something or Cap and Boomer get a lead it might be," she agreed. "Let's keep checking though just in case." They nodded in agreement. Then they noticed a little girl standing near by staring at them.

"Excuse me," she said as she got a little braver, "but are you the reporters?"

"Yes we are," Ace said as she got down to a knee."Do you have a name sweetie?"

"Amber," the girl answered.

Ace smiled at her, "Hi there my name Trish." Amber shot a scared look at Rev. "Don't worry about him, he's not a scary as he looks. And my alien friend is pretty cool too."

"Funny," D.E. said sarcastically.

"Do you have a story for us?", she asked ignoring him

"My big brother," she said. "He went into the old factory and disappeared. They said he ran away. But he wouldn't do that, he wouldn't," she started to tear up.

"I believe you," Ace said trying to calm her down. "I'll look into it for you, free of charge this time around. But you're going to have to show me where this factory is, ok?". Amber agreed and took Ace by the hand and showed them.

"I'm not sure if this is a wise decision Terry," Rev said as the two of them hung back a bit.

"It's the closest thing we have for a lead," D.E. told him. "Besides if we can help her find a lead to her brother it's has to be a good thing." Rev silently agreed.

Amber took them to where she last saw he brother, an old fishing factory that looked like it hasn't been used in years. If Ace was going to pick a place for a secret factory, it would have been something like this. If this was the place the big question was what did the inside look like? Ace had them hang back a bit while she scanned the outside as best she could. Before long something on D.E's back started beeping. Looking at Amber she asked, "Do you remember where your brother was at?"

While Amber was pointing that out D.E. stood behind Rev and checked the scanner on his OpsLicense. After a moment Ace looked back at him and he said, "Same reading as the first time."

Nodding she returned her attention to the girl, "Amber I want you to go back to town for now."

"But my brother…," she started to protest.

"We'll look for him," Ace assured her, "but I don't want you getting hurt in the process because that place looks dangerous. Go back to that store where you first talked to us ok. We'll let you know what we found out as soon as we can."

"You promise?"

"I promise," Ace told her and crossed her heart. Reluctantly she did what he was told and left them. Ace wasn't sure what they were going to do if they didn't find a trace of her brother in there. A thought for later as her License beeped too, "Ops5 here."

"Ace," Dan said over the line, "we think we found out where they might be selling the rifles, or at least storing them. Boomer and I are going to check it out. How soon do you think you can join us in case things get hairy?"

"I'm not sure Cap," Ace replied, "because I think we just found out where they're building them."

"We're on our way."

"Cap wait," she said quickly. "Let's try to take both of them if we can."

"I don' think that's a good idea Ace. After that last time security bound to be beefed up."

"And if we go after one the other one is going to take what they have and get away," she countered. "If we have a chance to get both points we should do it."

After a few moments of silence Dan said, "Alright, but be careful. I want to hear back from you one way or the other."

"Rodger, Ops5 out." Looking back at D.E. and Rev she said, "You heard him, let's check it out."

***

As they got closer they noticed that while the building looked abandoned there were a few paths in the ground that look rather new. Especially one that lead to a particular steel door. So somebody been going inside recently. She motioned for them to bypass the door and find another way in. A broken window that was around the corner looked promising. Remembering how toxic the building process was the last time each of them activated the filter mask that folded out and covered their moth and nose and went inside. D.E. and Ace both drew their SP-Shooters as they entered. Rev check the air quality, "It is not as bad as the factory but still dangerous if breathed in for extended periods."

"Right, keep them on for now," Ace ordered. Pointing at the door D.E. nodded and quickly checked the other side before giving the all clear. Entering the hallway she wished she had some Cap's recon gear with them. D.E. found a lock door while he was checking the various doorknobs they came across.

"What do you think?", he asked. She nodded and told Rev to watch the other direction. D.E. stepped to the side of the door and shot the doorknob. God that sounded really loud. "They really need to look into silencers for these things," he whispered to himself.

He pushed the door open and Ace and Rev pointed their weapons inside. They saw a teenage boy huddled in the corner looking really scared. She and Rev went to him as D.E. guarded the door. "I don't suppose you have a little sister named Amber do you?", she asked feeling hopeful.

"Yeah," he said before he started coughing. Rev immediately ran on scan on him. "What… what's he doing?"

"Just checking you out," she assured him. After a few moments she looked at Rev, "Well?"

"He is starting to show sign of lung damage from the fumes, but it is easily reparable at this stage." Opening one of the pockets on his pants he pulled out a small med kit. Choosing the right liquid he loaded it into a hypospray and placed it on the boy's neck. A small hiss later he said, "That should start to heal the damage and neutralize what's already in his system."

"Right," she said feeling relieved. Looking at the boy she asked, "What are you doing locked up in here?"

"I kept seeing things going on but nobody believed me. So I snuck in to find proof I wasn't lying. Then this slug thing caught me and threw me in here."

"This is the right place alright," Ace said. "Rev do you have a spare mask on you?" he said he did and pulled the pieces out of another pocket and handed them to her. "Listen, I need you to stay here for a little while longer. We're going to find the slug you told us about. But it'll probably be safer if you stay in here. He agreed as he took the pieces and put them on. Ace reached up and activated the mask which surprised the boy. "My friend said there's something nasty in the air so this will filter it out. We'll be back for you as soon as we're done." They closed the door and continued their search.

"I am so pouring salt on that slug," D.E. said out loud, she agreed.

It wasn't long before they found the main area of the building and the apparent construction site for the rifles. What surprised them was the actual number of humans working on the weapons. Willingly, judging from the lack of guards in the room. The slug, on the other hand, was in plain view. "Come on you low lives work harder," it ordered. "Every one of you have said this town has been going to hell since the factories closed. Are you going to blow this chance I'm giving you to bring it back to life?"

"I'm starting to get an idea why nobody believed that kid," D.E. commented and she had to agree again. They noticed Revs' head start to drop slowly, D.E nudged him with and elbow to wake him up and he agreed as well.

At her command they jumped out of their hiding spot and aimed their SP-Shooters at the slug. "SPD," Ace shouted, "freeze!". The slug laughed as a few of the humans pointed a completed version of the rifle at them. "What are you doing?"

"We don't want you here!", someone shouted.

"We need the sales of these rifles," said another. "Our town will go down the crapper even more without it."

None of them expected this to happen as they waved their SP-Shooter around trying to cover everybody. Then some Batsuroids came out of a couple of grenades holding the rifles as well. The slug laughed even louder, "Looks like you're outnumbered, better put those peashooters down."

"Ace," D.E. said with a bit of worry in his voice.

"You heard him," she said with a small smirk as the mask folded away. They dropped their weapons and she said, "Change standby." They grabbed their OpLicense from behind their back. "Emergency! DekaOps!" A quick digital flash later and they were in their Dekasuits.

"Shot 'em!" the slug yelled. The Batsuroids fired immediately, the humans started firing a few moments later a bit unsure of themselves. It was so much they had to dive for cover and return fire with their D-Shooters.

"Tell me you have a plan B," D.E. said as he ducked a shot that barely sailed over his head.

"Pick a bot and shot the gun," she told him.

"But the weapon will…," Rev started to say.

"I know what's going to happen."

"It's crazy," D.E. said, "But I love it." He took a quick peek and spotted a group of Batsuroids without any humans around. Lowering his head slightly he started breathing slowly as Ace and Rev continued to fire back. He looked up, took quick aim and fired at the center of the group. The bullet flew and hit the rifle in the power source. As expected the weapon exploded taking out the Batsuroid holding it and a couple surrounding it. In turn the weapons they were holding started to explode too in a chain reaction. The humans with the slug dropped to the ground as soon as that happened. Slowly they looked up after it was over.

"What are you low lives doing!?", the slug shouted. "Shot the bastards!"

One of the humans looked at the gun in his hands the spot where the Batsuroids were. "Fuck this shit" he said dropping the weapon to run. The other humans quickly joined him.

"Get back here you worthless hairless apes!"

"Ahem", Ace coughed to get his attention s D.E and Rev took out the remaining Batsuroids.

"Hey wait a second," the slug said while backing away. "Maybe we can make a deal."

"We don't make deals", she told him and held out her License. He reached for a lever behind him but a shot from D.E. stopped that.

"Slagging Agent," the slug spat. "He said he have this place ready before you would show up."

"Target orders," she said and the area around them went dark. A red X and a blue circle flashed between them before finally settling on the X, "Eliminate target." D.E and Rev stood beside her and locked their License into the D-Shot and took aim. "Strikeout!," three blue energy streams hit the slug and deleted him.

***

Amber waited anxiously , hoping the lady the lady would keep her word. She as starting to think they weren't going to show back up. Then she looked down the street and saw the lady wave at her, then she saw somebody else. "Hank!", she cried out happily as she raced toward them.

"I've never been so glad to see you, you little pain in the butt," he said as he scooped her up. Ace and Rev broke away as a crowd started to form around them.

Dan got their attention as they walked away. "How did you your end go Cap?", she asked.

"Caught him with his pants down," he told her. "How about you?"

"The factory's taken care of. D.E. covering it now in case some of the locals come back. I'll explain in my report."

"Right, Rev show Boomer where the factory is so he can take care of the rest of those rifles." Rev said he understood and told Boomer to follow him. After they left he looked at the crowd that was starting to split. A few were shooting Ace some nasty looks and a couple could be heard saying she ruined our town. "I get the feeling I know what's going to be in that report. I also get the feeling you guys went outside the mission little bit."

"I take full responsibility for that," Ace told him. "D.E. and Rev were following my lead the whole time. If anything comes down, it should come down on me only."

Dan looked her in the eyes, then looked at the reunited brother and sister. "I think we can let this one slide. But we better cover Rev and Boomer. Some of these guys look like they might want some payback."

***

"I still don't believe it," the Major said as he put down the repot on the desk. He looked right at Dan who was setting across from him, "Using a town own desperation to get them to help build this thing. How low can you go?"

"Some of them didn't seem to care that what they were doing was illegal or even life threatening, they just wanted their town back the way it was." Dan leaned back a bit, "But there bound to be some health problem now for the guys working on the rifles. And the way Ace and them described the place a few not involved in this might have been affected without knowing it."

"Which is why SPD is secretly supplying some medical aid for the town. They told the local doctors what to look for and how to treat it. Thanks to Aces' and the other report the local police were able to arrest a few that were involved. I'm not sure how many more they'll get though. Dan agreed and started to leave. "Just a second, I want to talk to you about what happened last night."

"Here we go," Dan mumbled as he dropped back down.

"I don't know why you two felt you had to sneak around. You know as well as I do that there no regulation in SPD that say two officers can't have a relationship. Of course with some of the nuts around here I can kind of see why you thought you had to."

"Yeah, but I also know how you feel about the whole premarital thing."

"True, I do believe a man and a woman should wait for marriage before having that kind of a relationship. But I'm also aware that you and Michelle are two grown adults capable of making you own decisions." He took a deep breath, "I also realize that sometime a couple might want to mix things up a bit and get a little adventurous. So I'm only going to say this once," he tapped his finger on the desk with each word, "not in here."

Dan blinked a few times totally not understanding what he said, "What?"

"Not in here," he repeated. "You two can do it in your quarters, her quarters, in med bay. If you can sneak on top of the Sheapard without Ace finding out more power to you. But not in here."

Again Dan blinked and said, "What?"

"Do I make myself clear?"

Dan looked around the room, "I… guess."

"Good, I'm glad we had this little talk." Dan left the room and every so often he would look back at the door leading to the Majors' office. That was the weirdest conversation he was never part of.


	19. Chapter 19

DekaOps

18

Michelle walked the halls to the Major's office with the morning reports in her hands. She would have had them on his desk sooner but she had to make sure Ace didn't sneak in any more request forms in. She found two, and the Major wasn't even in yet. She turned the corner and stopped for a second. Outside the Major office Dan was leaning against the door talking to somebody inside, "You see that cup of pens? Turn it a quarter twist to the left." She walked up to see a confused looking Rev inside the office. "Hi Michelle," he greeted her with a quick kiss on the check. "Now move the picture of his wife."

"What are you…"

"Too much," he said suddenly, "just move it enough to make it look like it got touched."

"What," she repeated, "are you doing? And why is Rev in there?"

"Because the Major would suspect D.E. and Boomer and go to them immediately," he answered her second question. She repeated the first one again. "The other day when he almost walked in on us, he told me that you and I were not to have any," he made quote marks in the air, "'relations' in his office."

Michelle snorted, "Does he think we're a couple of hormone crazed teenagers who'll do it at the drop of a hat?"

"I know, ain't it ridiculous. Twist the box of tissues a bit, it'd be a nice touch."

"Still doesn't tell me what you're doing."

"Going to try and make him think we did." Michelle let out a tired sigh. "Don't act like that. As many pranks he's pulled on me over the years I have to try and even the score."

"And you say Boomer acts like a four year… wait," her forehead creased a little as she thought it over. Giving him a suspicious look she said, "You were going to tell me about this, right?"

Dan glanced between her and the office a couple of times before saying, "Of course I was."

She looked at him before slapping him in the arm hard, "No you weren't."

"Yes I was," he started rubbing his arm, "eventually."

"If he fell for this he'd be giving me the strangest looks and I wouldn't know what the hell was going on."

"You have to admit, it be funny." He took a look at her expression then mumbled, "Oh yeah that was the wrong thing to say."

"Very perceptive Mr. Fill in the blanks." She walked into the office, slapped the reports on the desk and left without saying another word.

Dan stood there for a few moments then said, "I'm going to have some lonely nights for the immediate future."

"Captain," Rev started, "if it I companionship you seek, I would..."

"Rev," Dan quickly cut him off while pointing a finger at him, "I know you mean well, but before you even finish that thought I'm telling you right know. It will not be the same."

"Oh," he said. Then his antenna perked up a little when he understood what Dan was talking about, "Oh."

***

"Alright team listen up," The Major said after called them all together in the Command Room. "Word through the grapevine is a new slavery ring is in effect. A couple of humans have been located off planet in places they're not suppose to be."

"Sanders at it again?", Dan asked.

"No, the Colonel is still safely locked away in his cell," Pierce informed them. "After Command rescued them they gave a description of their capturer. They found a match in the database, a Rigillien named Vosk. Michelle," she nodded and an image of a green skinned humanoid with pointed ears appeared on screen. "Vosk has a record a mile long, but it's small time stuff, vandalism, disturbing the peace. Up till know his biggest crime was pick pocketing. Apparently he's gotten bored with that and starting something a little more ambitious."

"Don't you just hate it when that happens?", Boomer quipped.

"More than likely Sander capture left a huge hole in this particular operation," Pierce continued. "From various reports Vosk is a two bit of a con man and probably talked his way into the assignment. Either the Alienizer bosses were desperate or they wanted to see how fast he would crash and burn."

Michelle took over, "The sensor net registered an unauthorized entry over Africa. From the entry angle we think it landed here in the rainforest." A map appeared and a small section was highlighted. From what I can tell this area is sparsely populated, but a few scientific studies are being done right now, some without any immediate way to contact the outside. Plenty of opportunities to nab somebody who's not going to be missed for a few days. "

"I'd personally say time is of the essence here so launch now," the Major told them.

"Rodger," they saluted.

As they were leaving Ace said, "The guy better hope he doesn't try anything," she looked at Dan and stressed, "funny."

He stopped and looked at Michelle before saying, "Best friends, or course they talked." As he exited the room the Major thought he heard him mumble, "This is why I had that rule to begin with."

Major Pierce glanced over to Michelle, "You guys hit a bump in the road?"

"Just caught him doing something stupid," she told him. "Basically he was being a guy."

"Ah, the all purpose reason," he said. "You can look at me all you want, but I've been married long enough to know that much."

***

Before they left Ace assured him she wouldn't act like he made Michelle angry while they were on the job. Dan got the feeling the trip home would be a different story. So better get his talking with the apparently non mad Ace in while he could.

The SPD orbital satellites were having a hard time picking out individual life signs underneath the dense canopy of the tree tops. The Major was hoping the Shepard sensor package would have a better time of it at a closer range. Dan turned to Rev, "Can you make out what's what done there?"

"Yes," he answered, "But so far I'm not detecting any human or humanoid life signs as of yet."

"Maybe we should do a two party search," Ace offered. "One of from the air and one from the ground. It could make things go quicker. I saw a clearing over there that would make a perfect hot drop point."

"You sure you just don't want to test the Hounds in this type of environment," D.E. teased.

"I do believe we have a volunteer," she said with a half smile.

Dan nodded, "Rev go with him."

"Rodger," Rev said as they got up and headed for the cargo hold.

Ace changed course and lowered their altitude. "Approaching hot drop height and speed," she announced. "Hot dropping in three… two… one now!" Underneath the ship by each wing a panel opened and two black and white motorcycles fell to the ground. After they landed D.E quickly pointed out a path that looked like it could accommodate vehicles and they headed that while Ace went in the opposite direction.

***

"I'm telling you the sensors got a reading," An Igadroid was telling Vosk, who was looked distracted s he sat under a manmade canopy fanning himself with a pith hat

"And I keep telling ya the sensor are wrong," he said irritably. "It is slagging hot around here. Why did I want come here again?"

"Because you convinced the bosses that this would be the best place to acquire new slaves without being noticed." It turned a data pad in it's hand around so he could read the display himself," We're behind quota incase you weren't aware."

"Don't get your circuits in a bunch," he dismissed the robot. "If we have to we'll get some of those, watta ya call them… gorillas and shave them or something. Nobody will know the difference."

"Human are starting to be recognized as one of the more somewhat intelligent species," the Igadroid informed him. "People will note the differenece."

"Then we'll sell them to the dumber clients," he shot out of the chair. "This wasn't supposed to be this hard. Gather up a few humans and ship them out to whoever wanted them. Human slaves fetch top credits in the right sector you know. Easy money all the way to the bank."

"Humans don't earn any more credits than nay other species," it informed Vosk.

"That's because human haven't packaged the right way yet. It's what everything comes down too, the right angle. Ya have to know the right bait for the hook." He headed for the sensor and looked at it, "So what this so called anomaly?" Turning to the Igadroid he demanded, "You're the one who dragged me all the way over here so show me the stupid thing." Vosk slapped his hand against the side or the sensor before the Igadroid stopped him.

"The readout I was talking about is over here," the Igadroid went to a separate senor screen. Punching something in on the control a readout appeared that quickly repeated itself.

Vosk looked at the readout for a long time. "So what is it?". Thinking quickly he added, "I know what I'm seeing but I what to make sure we're seeing the same thing."

The Igadroid stared at him for a second before answering, "Two metallic objects were detected briefly before dropping below sensor range."

"Say what now?"

"They dropped from midair."

"Why didn't ya say so," he snapped. Walking past him to the communication array he switched to wideband transmission and grabbed the microphone. "Listen up whoever you are. Ya just don't appear out of nowhere and try to horn in on my operation. Ya want to impress the bosses do it somewhere else!" Slamming the microphone down he said to the Igadroid, "Ya have ta show these wanna bes whose boss."

As Vosk went back to his chair the Igadroid muttered, "Idiot."

***

"Well that took a set," Ace commented as she held the Shepard in a holding pattern over the jungle.

"Boomer did you get a lock on that transmission?", Dan asked.

"Like he lit up a Christmas tree," Boomer confirmed. "I haven't seen anything that easy to locate since… ever."

"Ops2 to Machine Shepard," D.E. called. "Did you guys get a weird transmission?"

"We got it," Dan sighed. "Boomer will give you his location. We'll come in on…"

"Ah… Cap," Boomer cut in, "you're not going to believe this."

"Let D.E and Rev hear it too," he told him. "If they're not already."

"Yo," Vosk called out, "whoever out there listen up. I've been thinking things over. Maybe we can work together or something. I could use a little more brawn around here. Whatta ya say?"

Dan motioned to open the link, "What's in it for us?"

"A part of the profits," Vosk answered. "Not a big part, I mean this is my operation and I'd be the boss so I'd get a larger cut."

"Why would I agree to something like that?"

"I already know the territory and I got a couple of loads off already."

"You're finding that many humans out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Oh loads," he said. Then he added, "a couple of them tried to say they were 'scientists'," he laughed out loud. "Like a human can be that smart, ya know what I'm saying?"

"I said human…," a new voice started before it was cut off.

"Shadup! Ya say what I program ya to say." There was a few moments of silence then Vosk spoke again, "Igadroids, sometime I think they made them waaaay too smart, ya know what I mean?"

"That's why I never use them." Dan said nothing for a few moments trying to look like he was thinking things over. "How about we meet up, negotiate terms and such."

"A businessman, I like that. I know this little clearing. I'll have my robot send you the location."

Boomer indicated they received the co-ordinates. "Ok, we'll meet you there, say an earth half hour?"

"How long is that?", he said to somebody. "Oh yeah I can do that. Look foreword to doing business with you."

"Right see you then," Dan ran his hand across his throat and Boomer closed the link.

"So I guess we're not rushing in?", D.E asked over his License.

"He already knows somebody here, he could expect somebody to come at him," Dan explained. "He could beef up security around his camp. This way we can make him think he's in control. Besides," he added with a grin, "he doesn't know how of us are here."

"I smell a plan," Ace chimed in.

***

Vosk paced around the edge of the clearing by his Igadroid impatiently. He kept looking at the field with growing anger. "Were are these morons, I hate dealing with amateurs." Before long the Igadroid picked something that wasn't there before, a jet. It flew over their heads as Vosk ducked. Without an order the Igadroid tossed a grenade and group of Anaroids formed. As the black and white jet landed with its rear section toward them Vosk could just make out the symbol on one of the tail fins, "Crud SPD."

The anaroids took position as the ramp lowered and the three inside walked out. Ace looked around and whistled, "Ten Anaroids and an Igadroid, impressive."

"Wha… what are you doing here?", Vosk asked hiding a little behind the Igadroid. "Oh slag black badges."

"I thought we were going to do business?", Dan said.

Vosk got a little braver and talked from behind the row of Anaroids as he recognized the voice, "wait, ya want to do business with me? Heh, guess SPD doesn't pay that well after all."

"Actually I wanted to see how dumb you actually were," Dan informed him.

"I'd say pretty dumb," Boomer chuckled. "I'm not sure what kind of transmitter you're using but I think they pinpointed your location over in Singapore."

Vosk was insulted, "I needed something powerful to stay in touch with the bosses. We're like this by the way," he held up two crossed fingers. "Yeah, some of the underlings are jealous at how tight we are. I'm pretty sure they were making sure some of my other messages from getting through." Starting to feel a little more confident he said, "Besides, ya guys look like the dumb ones here. I mean you're outnumbered and you're not wearing your flashy suits."

"Looks that way doesn't it," Dan commented.

"Well seeing how I got the upper hand I'll be a nice guy and ask if you have any last words."

"Actually I do," Dan said while crossing his arms.

A few yards away, hidden in the foliage, Rev watched waiting for that very gesture. Listening closely he spoke into his License, "The Captain said 'nice hat'."

Further away with his License laying bedside him D.E said, "Right," and took quick aim with his sniper rifle. He had Vosk smug face in his sights then aimed up slightly before he pulled the trigger.

The pith hat flew off his head and a second later Vosk reacted, "What the slag?"

Half the Anaroids looked for the source of that shot. Dan and the others lowered there head and closed their eyes as Boomer threw up a grenade of his own. The flash disrupted the bots' systems long enough for the to grab their OpsLicense, "Emergency! DekaOps!" They were surrounded by a digital field as the Dekametal formed a black bodysuit around them. A colored strip went down their suit and formed a number on the left side of their chest. A hard backpack formed and the D-shots appeared. The three of them shouted, "Face on!", as a helmet appeared around their heads.

Another shot from D.E. pierced the Igadroid's head as they rushed the line of Anaroids. Dan ducked an incoming swing from one as he pulled his D-Colt and shot it in the gut. Flicking the switch by his thumb to multi he fired at another one and three energized slugs knocked it down sparking. Ace was picking her shots with her D-Rod, only energizing it when she had a clear opening. Boomer was mowing them down with his D-shot. "Where's Vosk?", Ace called out after the last one went down.

Dan quickly surveyed the area and saw him, "This way."

Vosk ran to where he thought his base was. His hearts felt like they were pounding in his head. The bosses had to have something close by to take these guys out. They owed him something for all the things he's done for them. Then he tripped and crashed to the ground, "Slagging tree."

"Hold it Vosk!", Dan shout out as they caught up with him, OpsLicense in his hand.

"Go ahead," he challenged, "you think you're string pullers are gonna let somebody like me bite the dust?"

"Target orders," Dan said as the area went black. A red X and a blue circle flashed between them. Vosk looked confident the entire time, until the X shined brightly after it was done. "Eliminate target."

"No! There was a mistake!" Vosk cried out. "Do it again. Do ya hear me? Judge me again!"

Locking their License into the D-Shots Ace and Boomer went to a knee as Dan stood behind them, "Ready."

"I'm important ya slagging idiots! I'm somebody ya hear!"

"Strikout!", Dan ordered. Three energy beams fired out and Vosk was deleted screaming. Dan lowered his D-Shot and said, "Got you."

Ace stood saying, "Is it bad I think I kinda enjoyed that one? Because he was really annoying."

"Eh," Dan said while shaking his hand slightly. "D.E and Rev should be heading for his base site. Let's join up with them."

***

Hours later Dan finally caught Michelle by herself by the field team quarters. She saw him and started for her quarters, but he ran in and stopped her, "Look Michelle, I'm sorry I didn't let you in on the joke from the beginning."

She crossed her arms and ask, "Can you at least tell me why you didn't think you could tell me about it?

You had Rev with you for God sakes."

Scratching the back of his head he said, "Honestly it sounded like a good idea at the time."

"Well it wasn't. I could have helped you know. I could have put some of my perfume on a rag and rubbed it on part of his desk."

"I never thought of that," Dan said thinking it over. "That's a pretty good idea."

"See you jerk," she pushed him in the shoulder.

"Well I guess it's a little late now," Dan said. "And you probably already told him everything."

"Well he did notice something was off about his desk, so I'll give you credit for knowing him that well," she conceded. "But I never told him it was a joke."

"Why?", he asked. "I figured you bust me the first chance you got."

"As much as I hate to admit it, the look on his face was priceless when he came out of his office," she stifled a laugh."

"I knew it be funny," he said. "So," he put his hands around her waist and pulled her a little closer, "is there any way I can make this particular plunder up to you?"

"I'm sure I can think of something," she smiled seductively. Then she pulled away saying, "In a couple of days when I'm ready to forgive you."

"That was borderline evil," he told her.

"You deserved it," she countered as she opened her door.

"Can you at least tell Ace to stop giving me the cold shoulder? Rev was yawning like a madman on the trip back."

"I'll try," she said, "but if I can your going to owe me another one." And she closed the door.

He looked at the door for a few moments before walking away. "She says I'm going to owe her another favor. I still have Hawaii hanging over my head. And I didn't even want anything to do with Hawaii."


	20. Chapter 20

Special Police DekaOps

19

A nearly deserted highway during midday, everything was quiet except for a lone semi truck. On the inside the blond haired driver kept his eyes on the road in front and behind him. The red haired person behind was watching everything else while he tapped his fingers on the arm rest. So far everything was going to plan but they had a while to go. The driver glanced at the clock on the dashboard. Flipping on the CB he said, "How's the package?"

In the trailer a person in a black and blue Dekasuit looked at the freezer unit containing something that was pinkish purple. "Still solid," D.E. answered.

"Right, keep you eyes on the readouts and make sure it stays that way." Switching over to another frequency he said, "Ops1 to Shepard."

"Shepard here," Ace answered. "The area's still clear. We'll let you know the moment something does."

"Understood, Ops1…"

"Wait," Boomer took the mic, "Ace I just wanted to say thank you again. Lisa and me really appreciated it when you agreed to be part of it all."

"Once again no problem, Shepard out," she said quickly and ended the connection. Dipping her head a bit she said, "I still can't believe she asked me to be one of her bridesmaids."

"If this distresses you so much, why did you agree?", Rev asked behind her.

"I don't know, she just asked me out of the blue. She had this look on her face. Maybe if could have said no if I knew I was a last minute replacement for one of her friends who backed out. No, I've been part of the plans for awhile now apparently." Ace put the Shepard on auto so she could look at Rev. "I mean I barely know the woman. I've meet her a couple of times tops, and that's only because Boomer was around."

"You are part of Robert's life," Rev said thinking it over. "Perhaps she wants to make sure this part of his life is still welcomed in his new one."

"I could do that from the pew in the church," she argued. "God, you should have seen me at the dress fitting. Outside of Lisa I knew nobody and her friends were giving me the outsider treatment. She was the only one there who actually wanted me there." Turning back around and taking the stick she continued, "Michelle's been married before, why didn't she ask her? Maybe she can give me some tips on how not to be bored out of my mind while I'm standing there."

"I'm sure that not all you have to do Trish," Rev told her.

"No, I'm supposed to help plan things too. Every couple of days I'll get a call asking if I think such and such is a good idea. The moment I say anything that sounds like a yes I'll hear," she started talking like a valley girl, "'So like thanks, byeeeeeeee.' Lisa found out and apologized up and down but they kept doing it."

"If this is so much of an annoyance perhaps you should find away to step away."

"I thought about it but it wouldn't be far to Lisa, ducking out this close to the wedding. Besides I kinda like her. I mean anybody prepared to spend the rest of their life with Boomer can't be all bad."

***

Boomer continued tapping his fingers, way off to the beat to the tune coming off the radio. Which got on Dan's nerve a little more considering he only turned it on to drown the tapping out. "Getting nervous about the wedding kid? It's only a week away."

After a moment he replied, "I am now, thanks Cap." He started tapping faster. Dan resisted the urge to grab those fingers just to get a moment of silence.

"I don't mean to pry or anything but have you thought about the living arrangements…"

"I decided I'm going to do like the Major and his wife,' Boomer told him before Dan got the question out. "A while ago actually. Me and Lisa found this apartment a couple miles away OpsBase. So I'll be there in a couple of minutes if we got an assignment during the night."

"That's not what I was going to say," Dan informed him. "I figured you'd be living off base. With some of the guys we bring in I wouldn't want my wife around either. Not to mention the in-laws wanting to visit."

"Let's not mention the in-laws," Boomer said.

"I'm sure they like you," Dan told him. "But you are marrying their little girl after all."

"Telling me to my face they don't want me marrying her is a funny way of saying they like me." Dan raised an eyebrow at that one. "It's because I'm a cop. They're dead set against Lisa becoming a widow at a young age."

"She could become a widow even if you weren't a cop."

"And Lisa told them that, but they are dead set in their ways." Boomer looked out the window and watched the countryside. "Hell I'll be amazed if they show up for the wedding." After a few minutes of silence he asked, "If you weren't worried about where Lisa was going to live or how close I'd be what were you going to say?"

"Basically I was going to say it was going to be a little weird on base without you there all the time."

Boomer got a huge grin on his face, "I knew it you liked me."

"It's a situation I can quickly get used too. Especially the quiet."

"Admit you like me."

"Do you want to be running laps till an hour before you're married?" The truck hit a rough patch in the road that made it jump slightly. Almost immediately Dan grabbed the CB, "How's the package?"

"Power readings fluctuated a bit," D.E. answered, "but they're back to normal now."

"Make sure they stay that way. You have that freeze gun nearby?"

D.E. patted the oversize gun hang by the strap off his shoulder, "Hasn't left my side since the trip started."

"Keep it there until we're done."

"Rodger," D.E. said.

"Refresh my memory," Boomer said. "Why are we transporting this thing across a couple of states this way and not in the Shepard?"

"Well for one," Dan answered, "in case things get hairy while we're trying to unload this thing we might need the Shepard's firepower. Two, the freezer unit needed for this job wouldn't fit in the cargo bay. And three, Ace was already complaining about modifying the Hound bay as it was."

"I'd feel better if we actually had some back up for this one."

"For once I agree with you. Some space amoeba that can dissolve just about anything it wants when it's thawed out. You bet I want an extra tech team back there with him."

"So why don't we?"

"Commander Scorp," Dan spat. "The Major said he wanted to see how we acted under this type of situation."

"So he just happened to have access to some sinister space slime?"

"Apparently a lab planet did. There are other things out there like this one just floating around the galaxy, and they cause a lot of damage when they're caught by a planet's gravitational pull and thaw out. From some of the reports the Major passed me there's a big push to find a way to counter act them."

"Then why are we babysitting this one?"

"Because they captured very few of these things and various labs wants to run tests on it." Anticipating the next question Dan added, "And they don't want this thing in one place for any long periods of time."

"In case the Alienizers get any ideas," Boomer said in understanding, Dan nodded. "So basically we're just a pit stop."

"We're part of the leg of this particular journey. They do this every time they when they transport this thing. Plan out a long complicated route, throw out a couple of false trails. A couple dummy ships and they think they have a plan." Dan sighed, "Always a bureaucrats plan too."

"Why do you say that?"

Dan waited a few moments before answering, "Now I can't speak for the police department, but when I was in the military I could usually tell which officers spent time in the trench with the men and which rode a desk their entire career. And bureaucrats always come up with shit like this." After another couple of moments he added, "I had Scorp pegged as a bureaucrat the moment I saw him."

"You figured that out the moment you meet an 'alien' SPD commander?" Boomer asked with some skepticism.

"It's a vibe you learn to read," Dan informed him. "And that why the faster we hand this off to the next courier the better."

***

"Mr. Rockwell," The driver of the nearby car said as a man in an immaculate suit looked out over the area with a pair of binoculars, "did you find what you're looking for yet?"

"Not yet," he said as patiently as he could. His distain for humans grew with every second he was around them. Then he spotted it and his mood brighten, the truck with the special delivery. It was amazing how easy it was to look through SPD security when you knew where the lesser know cracks where, especially when you planted them yourself. Using a special add on he developed the magnification amplified greatly and he got a good look at the driver. "Perfect," he whispered, the fact Stevens was involved made this all the better.

"What was that sir?", the driver asked.

"Nothing." He said as he headed for the car. "Sorry for the inconvenience. Sometimes you hear a report about an alien that's so outlandish you have to check it out for yourself."

"Oh I understand sir. I heard about one that could change from human size to something the size of a whale in a second. Dropped everything myself to take a look." 'Rockwell' nodded and pulled a palm pilot out of his coat, or something that looked like a palm pilot. Sending a message to his, thanks to Stevens and his lackeys, new Igadroid, he ordered it to set the trap. He smirked to himself as he saw his eyes go reptilian briefly in his reflection.

***

The trip was uneventful for awhile, then they passed through a energy field that literally came out of nowhere. Dan stomped on the brakes the moment his mind registered what was going on but the engine had already died. "What the hell?". He grabbed the CB but got nothing but static. He and Boomer jumped out of the cab as Dan's OpLicense went off, "This is Steven, go."

Ace sounded worried, "Cap we just registered an electrical magnetic pulse near you on the sensors."

"We ran into it Ace, the truck stalled."

"D.E.," Boomer activated his, "how are things back there buddy?"

"A little shaken up with the sudden stop," he answered. "The back up systems kicked in, what happened?"

"We got hit with an EMP."

"Good thing for the shielding on SPD equipment then."

"Tell me about it." He saw something on the edge of the road a few feet back. "Wait a second. Cap," he shouted after checking it out, "I found an emitter!"

"I found one too," he called back. "Rev what kind of life sign readings are you getting?"

"You are the only humanoid reading I am receiving in the current area," he answered after a moment.

"Bots," Dan said as he tried to put everything together. It was the only thing that made sense with the clues available. "Scan for any stray energy readings. I'm sure whatever set these emitter was smart enough to get away and be close enough to make sure they had the right target. Ace keep us on visual cause this could go south in a hurry." None of them thought to check under the truck. Once the pulse went off heavily a shielded roller drone silently slide under the trailer bother either of them noticed. It's scanner detected the coldest spot overhead and stopped. A cannon raised as it did a deeper scan of the interior. Then it used the rest of it's energy cell to power one shot that pierced the trailer. Dan turned around just in time to see the shot go through the roof, "What the hell?"

Inside the trailer stepped back as the shot surprised him. When he looked back he saw a couple of the power conduit and coolant tubes severed. He quickly checked the readings and grabbed his License, "We lost power to the chamber and this thing heating up fast."

"Blast it with the freeze gun!", Dan snapped.

"Right," he said and fired at it. "We lost the containment field," he announced as it flashed out of existence. It thawed out quicker than he thought it would and the amoeba lashed out at him. "Holy…!", D.E. headed for the floor. By the time he looked up it was already headed for the hole in the floor. "Oh no you don't," he said as he took aim. He fired as it as it shot out another stream at him. The frozen slime arm continued foreword and pierced the freeze gun and jerked it out of his hands. It dissolved the gun in seconds and actually grew a little after absorbing a part of it. Then it started on the floor. "Weapon's down and it's getting out."

"There's a couple of more in the locker behind you," Dan reminded him as he looked under the trailer. "Get 'em and get out here." Watching the slime come toward him he shouted, "Boomer change standby!" Stumbling to the side he was surprised when it actually jumped at him. The amoeba landed on a boulder and quickly absorbed it mass into it's own in no time. Standing by Boomer he said, "Emergency! DekaOps!"

A digital flash later and both of them where in their Dekasuits and drew their D-Colt and D-Shooter respectively. "Do we fire?", Boomer asked.

Dan looked at the D-Colt in his hand, "Either the shot goes through it or it gets bigger. D.E get your ass out here!"

Finally the back of the trailer opened up and the ramp started to lower. D.E. jumped out with both freeze guns when he had enough room. "Sorry, had a hard time over riding the security lock. It wouldn't let me input the emergency override code, kept saying no access in an emergency situation," he explained as he tossed one of the guns to Boomer. "Had half a mind to shoot the damn thing."

"Damn bureaucrats," Dan muttered. "Let it have it." The amoeba lashed out again, D.E. was ready while Boomer caught on real quick. Dan looked inside the trailer to find anything useful. He thought about tearing out one of the cooling tanks from the containment units, but they would probably going to need that intact.

"Cap it's bolting!" Boomer shouted. He looked back and saw it roll away from the freeze beam dissolving and absorbing whatever it ran over.

"Oh no you don't," Dan said. "Ace, freeze run now."

"Rodger," she replied. She pulled the Shepard around and dropped the cloaking field. Locking on the ever growing target she opened the Hound bay doors and released some of the bombs they were carrying, "Bombs away." The bombs hit the ground and the air quickly got a lot colder around the amoeba and it started to shrink.

"Good shooting Ace," D.E. pumped his fist.

"It's not over yet," Dan reminded him. "You two cover that thing now." The Shepard landed and Rev rushed out with two short compact rifles with a dish at the end of the barrels. Dan took one saying, "Rev come with me, Ace fix that the containment unit."

"I'll try, but it's going to depend on how bad the damage is," she informed him.

"Then jury rig something," He told her as he and Rev followed Boomer and D.E.. Getting on either side of the thing Dan and Rev raised their weapons. "Rev you ready?" He nodded, "Now." Two beams came from the dishes and encompassed the amoeba. Slowly the slime shrunk even more and changed shape into what looked like a sphere. An alarm started to come from his gun, "it's starting to fight back."

"On it," Boomer said as he shot another ray at the sphere.

"Ok, we have to keep this thing hibernating until Ace get's the containment unit fixed. How's the power levels in the freeze guns?"

"I'm still good," Boomer answered.

"I got a lot of shots left," D.E. added. "Hey, what do we do if somebody drives by?"

Dan thought for a second, "Say we're filming a movie."

"But what about…?"

"Tell them it's a special effect," he snapped. "Sorry, situation getting to me and I don't want an angry ex fiancé coming for my head if anything happens to Boomer. Here's what we're going to do, we're going to take this to the trailer right now. D.E., Boomer watch this thing carefully. Alternate shots to keep it cold until then. Ready? Let's go." Slowly they made their way to the trailer with D.E. and Boomer freezing again every time it started looking active. It seemed like forever before Ace peek her head out the door.

"I think I got it," she announced.

"That's not the word I want to hear," Dan told her.

"It's the best you're going to get right now," she shot back.

"Guess it has to do. Rev come on." Carefully they headed into the trailer. Dan backed into the trailer first. He looked behind to watch out for the hole and saw Ace crouching by the unit. "Do you have to be right there?"

"I'm not sure if this is going to work and I might have to rig up something else as fast as I can," she informed him.

"Alright then," Dan said as he and Rev got the sphere into position. When it was hovering in the unit's chamber Ace activated the containment field.

"Cross you fingers," Ace said and turned on the freezing unit. After several moments Dan nodded at Rev and they deactivated their weapons. All of them held their breath until the readouts stabilized and stayed strong. "Yes!" Ace celebrated by jumping into the air.

Dan breathed out hard as he tilted his head back and lowered his weapon. "Rev watch this thing for the time being. Ace, your next job…"

She already ahead of him as he reached into he pack and pulled out a wrench, "Get the truck going. Should be the easiest thing I do today."

Hours later they arrived at their destination. Dan jumped out of the cab as an annoyed looking pointed eared alien walked toward them, "You are late." A gold badge, just great. Dan said nothing as he reached into the cab and tossed the remaining half of the freeze gun at the SPD operative.

"We had a little bump in the road," Dan said. "Boomer, you and D.E. help our… friends get it out of the truck. Then it's officially theirs and we can get the hell out of here. Oh and you can tell whoever in charge of this project that they will be getting my complaints about their security system and set up in the report."

***

A week later they made it to the church without any assignments coming their way. Although they wanted to do it differently the Major insisted they wear civvies to avoid any question why members of police department from different states and a couple of army officers where there. Dan and the guys rented some tuxes while Michelle found a dress in her closest and Rev wore a ceremonial rob from his home planet. From what they knew of Lisa's family they were surprised that so many showed up, even her parents. D.E. was next to Boomer trying to keep him calm. Finally the music started and eventually Ace walked out trying not to look out of place in the dress she was wearing.

Then Lisa came out and Boomer fell in love all over again. Michelle whispered into Dan's ear about the dress while the Major and his wife Helen watched from behind them. The preacher started and everyone paid close attention. When he got to, "If there is anybody here who think these two should not be married, speak now or forever hold you piece.", Dan, Michelle, Ace and D.E all glanced over to Lisa side of the family. Nobody said anything and the preacher continued. After they exchanged their vows the preacher announced, "With the power invested in me I now pronounce you man and wife. You may now kiss your bride." Everybody got to their feet as Boomer did just that. "Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to present to you for the first time Mr. and Mrs. Robert Parker."

Hours later at the wedding reception Lisa's Father gave a quick speech welcoming him into the family, but he quickly sat down. That didn't dampen the mood. A mood that elevated as they gave in to the small smash chant D.E. got started when they cut into the cake. After they had their first dance the floor quickly filled. Boomer and Lisa paid attention to nothing but each other while the Major and his wife remembered their wedding day. There was a tap on the Major shoulder. "Do you mind if we cut in?", Dan asked.

"Not at all," The Major replied. He grabbed Dan hand saying, "But I lead."

Dan backed away, "Do you think I'm afraid to hit a guy with a cane in front of all these people?"

"Don't mind him honey," Helen said as she took Dan's arm. "I'll be glad to dance with a handsome young man."

Dan took one last chance to point at the Major, "Keep you hands where I can see them."

He looked hurt, "I thought you knew me better than that."

"I do, that's why I'm repeating keep your hands where I can see them."

"Come on Major," Michelle said, "lets' make both of them jealous."

"Careful, he breaks easily."

"That's my husband your talking about," Helen chided him They talked for a bit catching up where they could, or Dan thought he could tell her. Then she said, "So, Henry tells me that you and Michelle are pretty close. It's about time you broke that stupid rule of yours."

"We're having some fun," Dan admitted. "We enjoy being around each other. I kind of wish I broke that rule a lot sooner than what I did."

"Any plan to make an honest woman out of her?"

"I've never heard her tell a lie," Dan deadpanned. "Well there was that one time involving Hawaii, but I try not to think about it too much.

In a corner Rev and the Preacher were discussing the differences and similarities of their respective bonding ceremonies. At a table sitting by herself Ace watched the others enjoy themselves. Boomer looked happier than she ever seen him so she tried to make sure her mood didn't dampen theirs. D.E. sat next to her unexpectedly and asked, "How are you doing?"

"How am I doing?", she repeated. "I'm at a wedding reception, sitting by myself in a God awful pink dress. How do you think I'm doing?"

"Well I can't do anything about the dress," D.E. said as he stood up. "But maybe I can do something about the sitting alone part," and he held out a hand. Ace looked at it for a moment before taking it. He led her to the dance floor, just in time for a slow dance to start. While they danced she looked over at Boomer and Lisa. Whatever they were felling must have been catching, because she slowly started to enjoy herself. All of them glad none of their License went off to ruin the evening.


	21. Chapter 21

Special Police DekaOps

20

Dan and Rev were in a small room with nothing but a table and a couple of chairs. Dan slowly paced the room looking over a file in his hands occasionally glancing over to the third person in the room. A redish skinned, bald, four armed piece of work they brought in earlier, the perp was caught trying to push a super steroid in various gyms. A real small fish in the scheme of things, but apparently connected enough to get an apprehension order. Rev made some small talk, seeing if he was comfortable. Dan closed the file and slapped it on the table. "So," he said evenly, "your name is Orion Pax?"

"Yeah," he grunted.

"An Andorian?", he nodded. "That's funny, because I meet a couple of Andorians and they look nothing like you. Have you ever seen an Andorian that looks like him Rev?"

"While it has been awhile since I have visited the planet, nor have I visited…" Dan coughed, the signal to get to the point, "No I haven't Captain."

"There's a lot of different types on my planet," the prisoner said. "I'm just from the south part of the planet."

"The southern part of the planet?", Rev repeated.

"Lots of planets have a south," he said.

"Why would a planet not have a south?", Rev asked. He didn't seem to have an answer for that one. Dan leaned there against the wall staring a hole through him with steely eyes as Rev continued. "It is standard procedure to contact immigration whenever we bring somebody in. And I do apologize for making you wait so long. There was an interesting discrepancy in your file."

"Then that's their fault not mine," he stated.

"A possibility," Rev agreed.

"But this has to be the biggest discrepancy in the history of discrepancies," Dan cut in. He activated a small device on the table and an image appeared in the air. Pax shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "This is the Andorian Orion Pax they have on file. This Orion Pax has blue skin, white hair, the antennas and what I find really interesting," Dan put his hands on the table and leaned in until he was in his face, "Two arms!"

"Captain please," Rev said pulling him back. "This is counter productive."

"Right after he tells me why the locals found an Andorian body matching this Orion Pax's description two weeks ago."

"I don't know nothing."

"And I know you're lying."

"Captain please," Rev said a little more forcibly. Dan backed off and leaned against the wall. After a few moments Rev continued, "You can see why we are a little curious about all of this."

"I don't know anything about a dead body," 'Pax' told them.

"Sure you don't," Dan said sarcastically.

"Captain," Rev said warningly.

Dan ignored him, "Not only do I think you know something I think you did it."

"You think you scare me?", 'Pax' challenged.

"You saw Pax, waited until he was alone and shot him in the back. You took his ID, his visa and prayed to whatever God you believe in that humans would be too dumb to notice."

"You can't pin this on me."

"Oh yes I can. I'm a black badge in case you didn't notice, I can make you disappear and nobody would question it one bit."

"I have rights" their prisoner told them.

Dan held him down as he tried to get up, "You're here illegally. Your rights are what I say they are!"

He tried to get up again, "I don't have to take this."

"Sit down!", Dan shoved him down hard he almost toppled over.

"Captain that is enough," Rev said pulling him back. "I have a lot of respect for you but this has gone on too far. I suggest you leave now." When Dan wouldn't budge he added, "I will have you escorted out of here, forcibly if necessary."

Dan stood there for a few seconds before heading for the door. "Always looking out for each other, it's sickening." Slamming the door behind him he stood there for a second. Seeing the Major watching things on a monitor he smiled, "Have I mentioned how much I love the fact you had them put in a door I can slam? Because the other sliding doors we have around here wouldn't have the same effect."

The Major sighed, "Have I mentioned you like playing the bad cop a little too much?" Dan joined him at the monitor and watched Rev do his thing with the prisoner. "And you were pushing the envelope a little too much for my taste."

"I know," Dan said, "but these guys always stop short when it gets to the Agents. And I'm tired of these guys being more afraid of them than they are of us."

"I didn't kill that Andorian," Pax said.

"I want to believe you," Rev told him. "Unfortunately the evidence we have paints a different picture. And I'm afraid the Captain is particularly good at painting whatever picture he wants."

"You guys are corrupting him, you know that right?", Pierce asked. "He wouldn't lie like that before."

"Just teaching to use what he's seen and heard to his best advantage," Dan said.

"I bought the ID and Visa," the prisoner admitted. "He said nobody would notice and to not worry where it came from."

"Who sold you them?", Rev asked. He remained silent, Rev urged him on, "The Captain is dying to pin this murder charge on you. I am trying o help you but I need all the information you can provide."

"You don't understand, he'll get me and I'll never see it coming. He can turn invisible, he can stab me in the back in broad daylight in the middle of the street and nobody would know it was him."

Dan cocked his head slightly as he heard this person could turn invisible. Commander Mynx words came back top him, "He was able to turn invisible Stevens. That's not natural, at most he should have changed his skin color to blend in with his surroundings." No way, it couldn't be him.

"Listen to me," Rev said calmly. "I need to hear all you know about this individual. I need a name."

"I don't know much. Grapevine said he used to work for both sides but I don't know for sure. I know he was genetically altered. He's a chameleon-seijin named…"

"Chatrox?", Dan said in disbelief.

"Chatrox," their prisoner said at the same time.

"Dan how did you know that?", Pierce asked but Dan was already running down the hall.

***

Michelle jumped a little when Dan came rushing through the door. There was a slight panicked look on his face that worried her a little. "Dan what is it?"

"I need you to check the database for a chameleon-seijin named Chatrox."

"Alright," she said a little confused. "It would help narrow down the search if I knew where to start, arson, robbery, murder, jay walking."

"Start with the SPD officer database," Dan told her. Michelle looked at him, "Just do it, please."

"Dan what's going on?", Pierce asked as he finally caught up. "How do you know the name of this Agent?"

"An Agent?", Michelle was more than a little surprised. "Why an I looking for a Agent in the officer database?"

"He was on Nagaus 7," Dan explained, "he was part of the Ops field leader training that I was in. During the final exam he was caught sneaking back into the main compound and trying to access and download the computer database."

"Found him," Michelle announced. "Ok, skimming the boring parts… It's like Dan said. Wait a second," she trailed off. "This can't be right."

"What is it Michelle?", the Major asked.

She looked up from the readout, "According to this he's dead."

"No way," Dan said. Michelle put the file on the big screen. "That's him, I know that smug 'I'm better than you' look anywhere."

"Dan according to this when he was being transported back to SPD headquarters for questioning the Alienizers attacked his transport. There were no survivors found when the rescue crafts showed up."

"No," Dan said, "it has to be him."

"Maybe it's another Chatrox," the Major offered

"Two chameleon-seijin named Chatrox, both genetically altered to become invisible?", Dan told him. "That's stretching things a bit."

"So is thinking that this is the same guy our guest is talking about," the Major countered. "It's possible he's using his identity to cover his track. He appears to have a track record of doing so."

"Well, there is one way to find out," Michelle said. "We have a guy who has seen the agent and we a got an image. To play it safe I'll pull a few more chameleon-seijin images from the database for a picture line up."

"And if he picks out this picture then he's our guy," Dan said following her thought.

"I'll have Rev do this alone," The Major told him. "No offence Dan but I don't want you to intentionally, or unintentionally, leading him to this picture."

"Fine," Dan agreed. It took no time for Michelle to make a printed copy of Chatrox image and several others. The Major took the pictures and went back to the interrogation room. While they waited Dan started pacing the Command Room like a caged animal. Michelle watched him knowing exactly what he was thinking. If this was the same Chatrox then he told the Alienizers about Nagaus 7 and what ended up happening to his friend Tony.

After what seemed like forever the Major and Rev finally came back. Rev walked foreword and held out a picture, "He identified this picture as Agent Chatrox."

Anger flashed through Dan's eyes at he looked at Chatrox image, "I knew it."

"I'll inform SPD Command about the situation," Pierce said taking the picture.

"I'm going in there," Dan stated, "and pry out where he the last place was he saw him."

"I already have the location Captain," Rev informed him.

"How did you get it?", Dan asked.

"He was keeping quiet about the situation," Rev started, "then I suggested I might leave the room and let you talk to him alone. After that he was very informative. He also gave me a future meeting time and place, which is in a few hours."

Dan started smirking as he looked at the Major, "You're right, we are corrupting him. Good job Rev, we're launching as soon as we can."

"Wait a second Dan," the Major interrupted. "I want to take this guy down too, but Agents are dangerous. I want the full team in on this one. And with Boomer still on his honeymoon we're one person short."

"There's always me," Michelle offered. "I know I'm not a regular field member but I can fill in."

"Dan?", the Major asked.

He nodded, "I'd want her along even if Boomer was here, just for the extra firepower."

"Alright then," Pierce said. "Dan you get Ace and D.E. up to speed. Rev you give the location to Michelle so she can work her magic before you leave. This is a big one, so make it count."

***

Tension aboard the Shepard was high, mainly coming from Dan. He was unusually quiet the entire trip. Michelle kept glancing at him from Boomer station. He sat there barely moving as he looked out the cockpit window. All of them expected him to get up and start boxing his shadow before too long. D.E. finally broke the silence, "Cap?".

"What?", Dan snapped.

"I don't mean to pry or anything, but it seems you have something personal against this guy."

"Dan thinks this Agent is responsible for the information about Nagaus 7 getting out," Michelle said.

"I don't think he did," Dan corrected her, "I know he did."

"I just don't get one thing though," D.E. said, "if this guy was working for the Alienizers how did SPD not know?"

"It's a big organization," Ace said, "They can't keep track of everybody. And let's face it the Alienizers probably found his price."

"Probably all the bugs he can eat," Dan muttered just low enough to be heard by everybody.

"Cap!", Ace cried out in shock.

"You're letting it get personal again," Michelle told him.

"You're damn right it personal!", Dan exploded. "It's bad enough he was making my life hell during training. Now thanks to him Tony is dead." He leaned back in his seat as he held his hand, "Damn it, I thought this was over after we got Waven."

Michelle got out of her chair and went to him, "We'll get him. But your head needs to be in the game for this to work. I don't want to lose you to this bastard."

"None of us want to lose you either Cap," Ace added. D.E and Rev agreed.

"Tell us about this guy," Michelle told him. "Why does this guy seem to be under your skin more than usual? You didn't act like this when you went after Waven and his group."

He sighed as he looked out the cockpit. "Let's just say the bad blood grew real quick. When I told you guys I had everything I was thinking before I joined SPD thrown back at me him and his little group was the main source. Even after I got my act straight and started to earn Tony's and the others respect he was still making the snide little comments. Seemed like every time I turned around I was hearing 'That was lucky human' or 'Why is the lowly human still here?' or 'It's hard to eat this food with the human stench in the air'."

"And they didn't say anything?",Ace asked.

"He was smart enough not to keep it to himself whenever anybody in charge was around. Tony and a few of the other said if I wanted to take a shot they make sure to look the other way."

"I think I would have taken them upon it," D.E. commented.

"I didn't want to give him the satisfaction. So I decided to do the next best thing, I tried to one up him at everything. Every test, every exercise I did my damnedest to out do him. And he did the same just so he could put me in my place. Even during the final exam my goal was to outlast him. I didn't care if I came in sixth and failed, just as long as he was seventh. They should have deleted his sorry ass as soon as they caught him," he added without thinking.

"Captain," Rev spoke up, "normally I wouldn't question your state of mind. But taking into account your behavior and what you just told us I am afraid I must." Michelle, Ace and D.E. started protesting while Dan remained quiet. "I take no pleasure in this, but as the medical officer I must voice my concerns. There is a potential the Captain may put his personal vendetta over the team well being."

"That's the most ridicules thing I ever heard," Michelle told him.

"I agree with him," Dan said suddenly. Michelle started to say something but he put up a hand to stop her. "I don't know what I'm going to do when I see him, I don't even know what I'm going to think. And the team's safety has to come first. Ace you have the lead, I'm following you on this one."

Nobody knew how to respond until Ace said, "Alright, here's what we're going to do. The fact you think you can't be trusted in this situation tells me you're still thinking straight and as far as I'm concerned can still be trusted. I'm going to follow you since you know this guy better than the rest of us."

"I gave you command," Dan stated

"I know, I just gave it back," she said.

Turning to Michelle he asked, "Is there any way I can turn that into an insubordination charge?"

"What insubordination?", Ace asked. "You gave me command and I made a decision."

"Thanks Ace," he said feeling grateful for the vote of confidence.

"Don't thank me just yet," she told him. "The moment I think you're going off the deep end I'm yanking command back."

"Fair enough," he agreed. Rev seemed satisfied by the arrangement and turned back to his instruments. Now all Dan had to do was not majorly screw up their faith in him.

***

"Where is that idiot?", Chatrox asked as he waited designated meeting place, a warehouse that was closed for the night. He was on time for the previous meeting and if he wanted one of the main ingredients for that stupid super steroid of his he better show up soon. If he had to reschedule the price was going to double, if he was in a generous mood and that was a long shot. A familiar feeling started to crawl down his spine. A feeling he learned to trust, something in the air was off. Perhaps it would be prudent to call it an early night. He turned to head back to his ship when he heard a snap that made him freeze.

"Going somewhere?", a sickenly familiar voice said from the darkness.

"Stevens," he growled as his eyes scanned everything around him. "I knew this day would come sooner or later. How did you find out about me? Who was dumb enough to talk? Or did you take some perverse pleasure in beating it out of them?"

"That would imply people where loyal to you to begin with," he shot back. "Then again the Alienizers never seemed that loyal of a bunch to begin with. You fit right in don't you?"

"Fitting in, that's funny coming form you Stevens. How you rushed to fit in on Nagaus 7 with your human ideals and beliefs and all so mighty attitude. I was surprised so many swallowed your act, but I knew better. I knew you still believed you were better than everyone there."

"No, but I knew I was better than you." Chatrox turned around and saw him in his black and red Dekasuit and found himself staring down the barrel of the D-Colt. "Any day of the week."

"I'm surprised you didn't shot me from behind when you had the chance."

"That's your style not mine."

"Then you should be very thankful for the late Waven," Chatrox informed him. "Because if it wasn't for him I would have sliced your throat open while you were hanging there. Without even thinking twice."

Dan didn't look moved but he did get in a verbal shot, "You seem to have a problem with finishing the job without getting caught."

"Is this how you pictured this human? Me helpless and at your mercy with nobody around to witness your personal glory."

"A, I know you're not helpless and B, I'm not alone." The other member of his infernal team came into view. Chatrox raised a scalely eyebrow slightly when he realized the yellow one wasn't there, and this white one he never seen before was. "This ends now Chatrox. Ace, judge him."

"You are right about one thing," Chatrox spoke before she could do anything, "I am never helpless." An Igadroid came out of nowhere and threw several grenades that formed a small battalion of Anaroids and Batsuroids. "We will meet again if you survive this Stevens. And I sincerely wish you don't because I can not stand your stench for a second longer."

Dan never took the D-Colt off him, "You'll be seeing me sooner than you think. Now," changing his aim he ended up shooting the Igadroid in the shoulder as his team tackled the other bots. Chatrox turned and walked away as Dan went after him. A couple of Ananroids blocked his pursuit, "Should have known."

Michelle was too busy fighting off the bots to concentrate on hitting keypad on her forearm. When she could she hit in a five digit code and clapped her hands together, "Electro Charge," and grabbed the heads of the closest Anaroid and Batsuroid. They stood in place shaking as the direct charge fried their processor. That bought her some room to maneuver and time to charge that attack up again. D.E shot at every bot he saw, and there was plenty at the moment. Ace and Rev stood back to back as they unlatched their D-Shots and fired away. At her command they started walking foreword and made a path through the bots. Ace grabbed her D-Shooter and tossed it over the crowd. D.E. jumped up and grabbed it. When he landed he fired in two directions. Dan fought off any of the bots that came at him. Reaching into his pack he spun and jammed his D-Knife into the neck of a Batsuroid. Turning the D-Colt sideways and hitting the switch he moved his arm in a sweeping motion as three shots fired out, each hitting an Anaroid. Rev jumped up and landed on top of a Batsuroid that was coming up behind Dan.

Dan looked over the area when he got a chance and saw Chatrox calmly walking into the warehouse. "Chatrox!", he shouted as he ran after him.

"Michelle go with him," Ace said as she saw him leave and saw where everybody else was. Michelle looked at the remaining bots and was unsure. "We got this," Ace told her. "Go after them and back him up!"

"Right," Michelle said and gave chase.

***

Dan kicked the door open and raised the D-Colt in front of him. Michelle caught up with him as he cautiously entered. Looking around he pointed to an upper level. "That might be an office. See if there some kind of master control in there. Maybe a security system too."

"You're not ditching me that easily," she informed him.

"You can see everything from up there even without the cameras, now go." Reluctantly she did so and he went further in, "Where are you?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he answered but Dan couldn't see him. But he sounded close.

"Why did you do it Chatrox?", Dan asked hoping to get him talking again so he could figure out where he was. "Why did you sell out to the Alienizers?"

"Who says I sold out? For all you know I'm on a special assignment for…", he started laughing. "Even I can't say that lie with a straight face. But for why, the Alienizers offered me what I wanted, what I really wanted. Control, power and fearful looks from others. I got none of that in SPD."

"Then why did you join?"

"Because I foolishly thought I would get that with the badge. How wrong I was. But I was willing to give it another chance when I was offered a spot in the Ops program. I figured my enhanced abilities would serve me well in a secret unit. Then I heard the same rhetoric from Mynx that I heard from my previous trainers and commanders and it made me sick. So I got in touch with my old contacts and offered the bases database."

"Then you did tell them about Nagaus 7."

"They weren't interested at first. Why did they care about an infant program they didn't consider much of a threat… at first. Then the black badges started making a name for themselves despite the fact nobody could locate any of them. Suddenly my information was very valuable. Not valuable enough to get me off this God forsaken backwater planet," he said a little bitterly. Dan continued to search for the voice. "But it was worth it when I discovered the tiger had been sent out to control the situation. We both know well that turned out don't we?"

"I already deleted Tony's killer, do you think the guy who sent him there going to be much of a problem?"

"Over confident as always Stevens. Even if you realize you're over classed. Or fail to realize you being lead into a trap." An invisible punch rocked him as he turned around. "You don't have the others around to protect you Stevens." Dan thought he got the voice located and swung but got noting but air. He was knocked back with a kick to the chest. "You would not believe how I've dreamed of this moment."

"Oh I can imagine, I wanted to bash your skull in every time you opened your mouth." Catching a shimmering effect out of the corner of his eye he shot out his foot. He caught something, he could feel it. But it wasn't flesh, it felt like that cloak he was wearing. Dan pulled out his D-Rod trying to widen his swing range. Then he was attacked from behind. Resisting the urge to strike behind him he waited, trying to cover as wide a area that his eyes could, trying to find even the smallest hint of that shimmering effect. His ears were starting to hurt as he listened for the faintest sound that would give him away. Then another attack came from right in front of him and wouldn't let up. Dan tried to fight back but the D-Rod was knocked out of his hand. When it stopped he realized he was looking at his D-Colt hanging in the air in front of him.

"You dropped this," Chatrox taunted and fired. Three shots hit Dan in the chest point blank. Then another three and another, Dan fell to the ground in pain as his Dekasuit flashed away. The D-colt was flung to the side. Dan pulled out his OpsLicense but it was kicked out of his hands, "No back up and no help for you Stevens." A noise that sounded like a knife being drawn from it's sheath could be heard and he started to crawl backwards away from it. "You are not so mighty now are you Stevens? Do you want to start begging for your life now or after I start cutting?"

"I studied your file after training," Dan said suddenly. "I was curious about how they could let somebody like you into SPD. There was a lot of Interesting information in the file Mynx let me look at. Like how you were part of a unit but always insisted on working alone. Maybe to hide your secondary job, I don't know and really don't care. But that bit of information told me one thing about you. You never saw the benefits in working with a team." Dan tapped the sensor on the back of his right glove twice.

In the office Michelle got the signal and had already hacked into the computer and security systems and convinced it there was a raging fire on the floor below. As one the sprinklers came to life and Chatrox outline could be seen in the downpour. He realized this quickly and ran off. Dan got to his feet as quickly as he could to follow as he drew his SP-Shooter. Chatrox suddenly turned a corner and Dan lost track of him. Ignoring the downpour as best he could he looked for that outline. Even Michelle came out and searched the floor from her vantage point. By the crates, on top of the crates nothing appeared to be blocking the water. The he saw a small plank set across a couple of rows with a bunch of boxes stored on top forming an arch or some sort or a bridge. Looked like a dry spot too. Turning to go in the other direction he spun around and fired several wild shot under that bridge. One shot hit something low. "Ugh," Chatrox stumbled backwards holding his leg and becoming visible again.

"Freeze Chatrox," Dan kept his aim on the Chameleon as Michelle quickly tried to reach their position. Noticing one of his arms was still under the cloak he ordered, "Hands where I can see them."

"I've studied you and your team as well. I've learned quite a few things." With that he tossed something into the air. Before Dan could react it exploded in a blinding flash of light.

"Shit!" Dan cursed as he held his eyes and stepped backwards. He heard two set of footsteps, one coming toward him and one running away. Aiming at the fading set he fired away praying to god he hit the bastard.

Michelle reached him and tried to check his eyes, "How bad is it?"

"Never mind about me, get him." When she didn't budge he pushed her in Chatrox last direction, "Go! I'll be fine."

She did so and pulled her DataLicense out, "Ace he's running outside!"

"I see him," Ace said. "We're in pursuit."

"I'll be joining you shortly." Michelle risked turning her head back and saw Dan blinking to get his sight back before heading outside.

"Don't let him get way!" Ace commanded as they chased after the limping Agent. He was able to make it to the tree line before they could get in range. By the time they got close to the trees an engine could be heard. A small craft emerged from the top of the trees and hovered there. "Fire!" she ordered as they took out their D-Shooters. The shots hit the hull with little pings but seemed to do little damage. Then it started to shimmer in an effect all of them knew. "He's got a cloaking device. D.E. get back to the Shepard and try to pick up an energy reading. That cloak or those engines has to leave a trail we can follow."

"On it," D.E. said running. Ace heart dropped when she heard another sound she knew all too well. The sound of an engine leaving and quickly disappearing. He got away.

***

Dan sat there on the ground dripping as Ace continued to give him updates from the Shepard sensors. Rev gave him a clean bill of health a few minutes ago but wanted to run a few more test on his eyes when they got back, just as a precaution. Michelle came up and handed him a towel, "I found it in one of the equipment bins."

"Thanks," he said quietly and started rubbing it against his hair. After a few quiet moments she sat next to him and he asked, "Are you alright?"

"Why wouldn't I be alright?", she asked back. "I was the one in a Dekasuit the entire time."

"I didn't mean to be that rough with you in there."

"That wasn't rough. You gave an order and I didn't follow it right away. Granted you try that when we're not on an assignment and I'll show you the meaning of rough," she said smiling a little. He didn't return it. "We'll get him."

"We had him," he countered bitterly.

"And you didn't kill him in cold blood when you had the chance," she said. "It's a small victory but I'll take it."

"You're going to be the only one. The Major is going to blow his stack when he finds out he got away."

"They made this guy an Agent. Everybody knows how tricky they are. Even the Major said so before we left."

"Doesn't take the taste out of my mouth." Dan sat there before getting up. "Might as well get back and get this over with. Want to join me for a coffee later?", he asked while holding out his hand.

"Love too," she said as she took it. As they headed for the Shepard Dan's eyes kept scanning the area. Part of him didn't want to think he actually got away. Another part realized that paranoia could get him and the other killed if he wasn't careful. And he would be damned before he gave Chatrox that satisfaction.


	22. Chapter 22

Special Police DekaOps

21

"You guys took on an Agent?", Boomer said still a little stunned. D.E. had come over to his and Lisa's new place to visit after they got back from their honeymoon. As they watched the game the subject about their last assignment came up. "Without me?", he added sounding a little hurt.

"You were a little busy getting personal with your new wife," D.E. told him. Lisa came in giving him a look. "Sorry, it was the nicest way I could think of saying it."

"I'll let it slide this time but think harder next time, or don't say it at all for that matter," Lisa said. "I've taken karate since I was five. I have a few moves so watch out in the future."

"Trust me, they taught her a little too well," Boomer said flexing his shoulder a little. "Never ask her to show you those moves."

"You better not let Cap find out about that, he'll triple your workout load," D.E. joked.

"Was he upset that the Agent got away?", Lisa asked. "Bobby said they're nastier than the ones you usually get sent out after."

"You could say that," D.E. debated on telling him or letting Cap and the Major tell him. "Cap knew this guy, they were in the same program." Lisa looked shocked while Boomer pushed for details. "The guy worked for SPD and the Alienizers at the same time. They caught him trying to hijack the computer database while Cap was in his training exercise. Cap took it a more than a little personal before we calmed him down."

"I'm not sure I want to go back to base tomorrow now," Boomer told him. "I remember what he was like after Mexico."

"He didn't look as ticked off as he was after we got fooled in Mexico. Everybody still gave him a pretty wide berth after we got back, even the Major. Michelle was the only one brave enough to get close enough to talk to him."

"Well they're a couple duh," Boomer told him. "Speaking of which when are you going to get with somebody? I got Lisa, the Major married and Cap and Michelle are together. You're like the only single guy on base. Well maybe Rev, did he ever say he could get married?"

D.E. laughed, "Ace was right, you couples do try to get single people together."

"I did see you two dancing at our wedding," Lisa said. "I thought you made a cute couple."

"And he's already jumping every time she says something," Boomer joked.

"Lisa," D.E. said. She smacked her husband in the back of the head. "I can see why she kept doing this, it's kinda fun."

***

"Boomer, welcome back," the Major said before he got down to business. "And I'm afraid I have to send you and the others right back out." D.E. gave him a jokingly dirty look before returning his attention to the Major. "Although we had some rather interesting assignments even I have to say this one is rather unusual."

"How unusual?", Dan had to ask.

"Earth weapons have been found being used on other planets," Michelle answered.

"That's pretty unusual."

"But I've heard Earth being called a backwater planet a couple of times," Ace spoke up. "So why are our weapons being used."

"Because we are a little backwater in the weapon department," the Major explained. "Even with the most basic of SPD weapons there's a hint of an energy signature. And that makes them detectable in most cases. Earth weapons are still just a flying metal slug when you get down to it and able to get past your basic scan. There's apparently a pretty good size market out there for them."

"Who would have guessed," D.E. commented.

Michelle started talking again, "Since we usually try to find the weapons that are coming in it took us a bit to change gears and to see where they're going out. And just in case there was any doubt I did pinpoint a possible location, Columbia. I was able to come across the occasional report of an alien who calls himself the Weaponeer and he has an unusual interest in Earth weaponry. So I would say that would be good starting point."

"Never a doubt in my mind," Dan said. "We got a target people, let's check him out."

***

The Machine Shepard landed in an open area in the middle of the jungle. Dan didn't feel that splitting the team up was the best option in case this was the guy they were after. If he was than he'd have a small armory depending on the size of his HQ. Not to mention any off world weapons he may have purchased or brought with him. In this situation Dan wanted the full squad present when they located this guy. "Ace you got point, Boomer you got our backs," Dan ordered.

"Rodger," they replied and they headed off.

After they followed a particular trail for a while Boomer ended up asking, "Who names themselves the Weaponeer anyway?"

"I would assume someone who handles and is familiar with the uses of particular weapons," Rev answered.

"Well obviously, bit's a bit outlandish even by Alienizer standards. We're talking comic book-ish here."

"Takes all kinds kid," Dan told him. A small click made them stop and pull their weapons out. "Eyes on the perimeter," Dan ordered.

"Guys," Ace called out a sounding a bit shaky. They looked at her and saw she was frozen in place with a frightened look on her face. "I think I got a problem," and she pointed at her foot.

D.E. checked under her feet and cursed under his breath, "Mine." Reaching into his pack he pulled out a device with a disk underneath it and handed it to Dan. "It's a mine detector," he explained. I was going to use it the closer we got to his base. I didn't think we were going to need it this quick."

"Don't worry about it D.E., just do your magic," Dan told him as he swung the detector around. He already got a couple of more hits.

"Easy there Ace," D.E. said as he carefully got to his knees. "I'm just going to see what I'm dealing with."

"Maybe she should activate her Dekasuit to be on the safe side," Boomer offered.

"No," D.E. said quickly. "These things are usually pressure sensitive. Any change of weight and it might go off."

"Then you better activate your suit," Ace told him

"And let you take the full brunt? What kind of man do you think I am? Now be as still as you possibly can." Carefully he brushed away the dirt to see what he was dealing with, then he called out, "Cap."

"Why are you calling for Cap?", Ace asked nervously.

"Boomer," Dan said and tossed him the mine Detector. "What is it D.E.?"

"Tell me that isn't what I think it is."

"Tell you what isn't what?", Ace demanded.

Dan knelt down and got a good look at the markings, "Oh shit, a Bouncing Betty."

"What is a Bouncing Betty," Rev inquired.

"An anti personal mine originally developed by Germany during WW2," D.E. explained as he took out the appropriate tools. "There a small charge that shoots the primary charge up into the air before it explodes. Giving it a wider area of destruction."

"Can you disarm it?", Dan asked.

"It's going to take me a mite longer, but as long as it isn't enhanced by some alien tech I'm pretty sure I can do it."

"That could be sweat running down the inside of my leg," Ace told him, "but I'm pretty sure it could be something else."

"Have some faith in me would ya?" He worked quietly for several minutes while Dan and the others watched helplessly and Ace prayed to whoever was listening at them moment. Finally he pulled back saying, "And just for the record that is sweat running down your leg. You can call me a pervert for looking after you take your foot off that thing."

"Rev, Boomer fall back," Dan ordered. "Just to be on the safe side."

"If it doesn't explode when she picks her foot up then we're good right?", Boomer asked

"Those things have a four second delay kid," Dan told him. "They needed to give the person time to walk off it first."

D.E. stayed with her as she slowly took her foot off the mine. Everybody counted to four. At five they all stayed very still. At six Ace looked over to D.E and wrapped her arms around his neck, "Oh thank you God."

"I'm sure he heard you," D.E. said as he hugged her back.

Dan ran over and put an arm around her shoulder, "That was a little more excitement than I needed today kiddo," and he patted her shoulder. "D.E, good job," he said they bumped fists. "Listen up people change of plans. Boomer, give D.E. that scanner, he's got point and Rev watch our backs. Stay in single file and everybody watch where you step." They all complied and continued on while D.E drew a line in the dirt with his foot by every mine he came across.

***

"Hmm, this is interesting," said a person in green fatigues. He looked human except for his red eyes and gill like slits on his neck. His motion sensors were going off while the thermals were picking up five new heat signatures, four humans and what looked like a Zalmanian. An aerial sensor net he bought from an Agent didn't go off so they landed outside sensor range. He set the mine field just past the sensors so they were able to get past that. "Finally, somebody worthy to test these things on. It was getting so boring."

There were several crates he had yet to open. He always liked to test out how these weapons would work before he sold him. Preferably on live targets for demonstration purposes. Usually the sale went faster if the buyer could see what kind of damage the weapon could cause. Rarely was he able to do so on anything human size. The locals kept away from this area and those brave or stupid enough to approach were usually dealt with by the mine field. Five targets was a unique treat so what to use? "I always wanted to see what one of those bazookas would do to a humanoid target," he said to nobody in particular. His eyes fell upon a sniper rifle and he grinned, "Igadroid."

"Yes sir," it answered as it walked foreword.

"Is that program I installed working properly?"

"Yes it is. It is surprisingly compatible with my other programming. I was about to test it out."

"Oh that is still the plan, but I have a new set of targets for you. I was paid very highly to develop that program and weapon modification. I want to see if he received his moneys worth." The Igadroid fixed a specially made sensor piece over one of its eyes. Then it picked up a sniper rifle with a sensor package instead of a scope. The Weaponeer was still amazed nobody requested this before.

***

Dan and the other paid very close attention to their surrounds after they exited the mine field. He paid particularly close attention the ground for any tripwires, who knew what kind of surprises this guy had set up. "Cap," Boomer called out, "I found something." The other came to a stop as he checked it out. "It looks like a sensor. You think it's for another trap?"

"D.E. and Ace already walked past it so I don't think so." Dan looked up at the tree and saw another one, it had to be a sensor net of some sort. "I think he knows we're here." Dan looked at Boomer and saw a red dot hovering around his chest. "Boomer!", he acted out of instinct jumping in and pushing him out of the line of sight. A split second later and bullet hit him in the left shoulder, his arm now replaced with an overwhelming sensation of pain as he spun to the ground, "Argh!"

"Sniper!", Ace shouted and they jumped for cover. Several more hit the ground with a puff of smoke and dust. "Anybody see where that came from?"

"I did," D.E. answered. With some help from Boomer Rev was pulling Dan behind some trees as he held a hand over the gunshot wound, blood pouring through his fingers. Then Rev reached into Dan's pack and took out the med kit inside. "I'm going for him," D.E. announced.

"Be careful," Ace told him.

He went off into a denser part of the jungle for some additional cover. Pulling out his OpsLicense he called out "Emergency! DekaOps!". A brief blue digital flash and he was in his Dekasuit. Reaching into his backpack he assembled his sniper rifle on the run. Popping the clip in last he took position behind a fallen tree and took at aim at their attackers last known position. He was seeing nothing through the scope. Slowly sweeping the gun around he saw some movement that caught his attention, he saw an Igadroid. Then he realized it was looking right at him as well. Both of them waited a second to fire. The Igadroid's bullet hit him in the shoulder causing him to pull back in pain, but relatively unhurt. His bullet pierced it's exposed eye as it fell backwards to the ground. He checked to make sure that was the only one before heading back to the others.

When he arrived Rev was tightening a pressure bandage around Dan's shoulder. "Ugh," he grunted.

"How bad is it?", D.E. asked.

"The bullet lodged in the bone," Ace answered him. "Rev is going to get him back to the Shepard before removing it because he doesn't want to do it in the open. But you me and Boomer are going to continue the mission, Cap's orders. So we are going to get the son of a bitch."

"Do it legal," Dan said through gritted teeth. "I find out otherwise and you won't have to worry about the Major." Rev put a hypospray to his neck and a small hiss came from it. Dan eyes glazed over slightly as he said, "That's some good shit."

"I administered a pain killer," Rev explained. "It should make him a little more comfortable until I can get him back to the Shepard."

"I'll help," Boomer offered."

"I can handle it Robert," Rev assured him. "And you have your orders."

"Take the mine detector," D.E. said. "I wouldn't put it past this guy to circle around and erase some of my marks." Rev took it and got under Dan's good arm to help him to his feet. They watched as the two of them headed back.

"You heard Cap," Ace said, "We got a job to do. Let's make him proud."

***

The compound wasn't that far from where they were ambushed. The Weaponeer had a great seat for the show so far. Time for a really good finale. Cautiously they approached the series of tents only to find the target in plain sight looking like he was expecting them. "Ah there you are," he greeted them. "I'm surprised three of you made it. I'm even more surprised all of you are still alive, if not wounded."

"Weaponeer," Ace stepped forward, "you are under arrest."

"You," he pointed at D.E., "the blue one. That was one incredible shot back there. I may have a job for you if you want it."

"In case you didn't hear the lady, you're under arrest," D.E. told him.

"Oh I heard her perfectly," he told him. "I was just thinking of that saying you have on this planet. It's not over until the fat lady sings." The Weaponeer tossed something at them and they were surrounded by a barrier field.

Ace and Boomer drew their License, "Emergency! DekaOps!". As their suits formed around them D.E. pulled out his D-Shooter and started shooting the barrier to weaken it faster. Ace and Boomer joined in and it went down in seconds. "Spread out," Ace ordered, "he couldn't have gotten far."

They heard his voice come from somewhere, "Pity, I was hoping to see those shotguns of yours in action, what do you call them again…D-Shots?"

"Oh you'll be seeing them soon enough," Boomer said softly.

"Don't get distracted," Ace chided him. "D.E. can you tell what he has here?"

"The stuff I can see is marked from Earth. But that Malkarian Barrier says he has some outside weapons too."

"Ah a fellow connoisseur," The Weaponeer sounded impressed. "What do you know about it?"

"It's mainly used for security, designed to last just long enough for the intended target to get away."

"If you weren't trying to delete me I would like to sit down and talk shop. I rarely get the chance to do so with anybody who actually knows the merchandise. Usually it's 'What will this do?' or 'Will this cause a lots of damage?'. It does get a bit tedious at times."

"And your Igadroid shot my friend," D.E. said. He didn't want to give the Alienizer the satisfaction in knowing the team leader was taken off the field. "So I'm not exactly inclined to talk shop at the moment."

"Pity," the Weaponeer said, "but perhaps you'll enjoy this other device I have of Malkarian design, a heavy repeater rifle." The Weaponeer jumped out from one of the tents with a large gun looking device hanging from his shoulder and let loose a stream of energy bolts at them. They had to scramble to avoid getting hit. "My, that was rather exhilarating."

"Let's give him what he wants," Ace said. They unlatched their D-Shots and tried to return fire. The Weaponeer quickly stopped that plan with another sweep. "D.E., Boomer try to flank him." Almost on cue he pressed a remote button on his belt and several more barriers went up around the compound, making sure they only had one avenue of attack him from, straight into his firing range. "He's making sure we play by his rules. D.E. can you get through those too?"

"I get the feeling those are going to be a tad stronger than that security barrier he threw at us," he answered.

"How about we use a loophole in the rulebook?", Boomer said suddenly. Reaching into his backpack he pulled out a grenade and threw it. It landed a few feet away from the target and went off, not in a flash of light but an eardrum busting short range percussion wave that made the Weaponeer grab his head from the pain.

"Now!", Ace yelled as they ran in. The Weaponeer tried to aim but they were already in the D-Shot effective range. Aiming low they fired, a couple of the shot hitting the repeater rifle. It sparked a bit and the Weaponeer dropped it and ran into another tent. Grabbing a semi-automatic pistol off one of the crates he turned around and it was shot out of his hand. D.E. stood inside of the tent with his D-Shooter pointed at the Alienizer as Ace and Boomer entered.

The Weaponeer held his hand and studied the D-Shooter, "It took a lot of rounds to take down that barrier. How many shots do you have left?"

"Just used my last one," D.E. answered. "All I needed." Holstering the D-Shooter he grabbed his OpsLicense and switched it to Judge, "Target Orders." The area went black as a red X and blue circle flashed between them. After a minute the red X shined, "Eliminate target." They locked their Licenses into the D-Shot and stood in a line, "Strikeout!". In moments the Weaponeer was deleted, "Got ya."

"As Cap would say the job not over yet," Ace said. "That guy had to have a computer around here somewhere. D.E. check the other tents and the surrounding area for any other surprises. We'll search in here."

"Rodger," he replied. Leaving the tent he walked over to the repeater rifle and looked at it for a moment, "I always wanted to take one of these apart." The computer was found soon enough and they marked the area on a map so SPD could give to the local authorities to take care of, and offer some help if it was wanted. When they arrived back at the Shepard Rev was finished taking the bullet out of Dan shoulder and he was resting comfortably and strapped in for the trip home.

***

While Dan slowly woke up he realized he was in the Med section by the alien antiseptic smell in his nose and that he wasn't alone. Opening his eyes he saw Michelle, Rev, the Major and the others standing nearby watching him closely. Groggily he said, "What, you guys never seen a guy wake up before?" , and he tried to sit up. A new wave of pain from his shoulder reminded him why that wasn't a good idea, "Ugh."

"Captain you are still recovering from your operation," Rev said as he put a hand on his chest and gently pushed him back down. "I must insist you lay down. Also the Major requested I save this for you after I had removed it from your shoulder," he held up a small container with a metal slug inside.

Dan took it and studied for a moment, "I'll add it to the collection."

"Yeah I really don't want to see that collection, "Michelle said.

"I'm assuming we got him?", Dan asked while looking at Ace.

"We got him and his computer files," she told him. He gave them a thumbs up.

"How you feeling Cap?", Boomer asked.

"A little woozy. I don't now what Rev hit me with but it's some good…"

"No offence Cap," D.E. interrupted, "but you already told us that."

"I'm afraid I must cut this visit short," Rev announced. "The Captain needs his rest."

"Rev outranks me in here," the Major said. "So let's follow doctor's orders."

They said their goodbyes as they left. Michelle hung back to say, "I'll bring you some dinner later. And if you're a good boy for Rev I'll feed it to you as well," she grinned before leaning in and kissing him. "Love you."

"Love you too," Dan told her.

"You still must be under the influence of that shot Rev gave you, you just told me you loved me in front of everybody," she joked.

Out in the hallway the Major said, "D.E. hold up for a second."

"What is it Major?"

"I wanted you to know I pulled a few strings and that repeater rifle you guys went up against should be here in the morning." D.E. was speechless at that news. "I think it because it was damage in the battle was the reason why I was able to get it so easily. Ace and Boomer overheard you say you wanted to take one apart so now's your chance."

"Thank you," he said still stunned. "But why? You never did it before."

"Officially, I want you to as well informed as possible about any and all weapons out there. You can learn form a book or data file, but as far as I'm concerned there's nothing better than some hands on experience." He started grinning, "Unofficially, you saved Ace's skin and took out the droid that winged Dan. So it was either that or give you a pay raise. And as my wife keeps telling me I'm a cheap bastard. So enjoy your new toy." The Major clapped him on the shoulder and walked off. D.E. stood there rubbing his hands together in anticipation. He didn't do what he did to get a reward, it never even entered his mind. But there was no way in hell he was going to turn down this opportunity.


	23. Chapter 23

Special Police DekaOps

22

Major Pierce waited patiently for them to enter the command center. Dan was still on the injured list so it was a little strange not to see him with the others as they lined up. Ace even looked over to empty space he usually occupied. She looked very much aware that she was the one in charge for this one. Pierce hoped she wasn't dwelling about the first time she was forced to take lead on a mission. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a situation in New Mexico."

Michelle activated the screen, "Sensors have been picking up some strange reading underground in this area. There is no report of any previous seismic activity or any kind of mining operation now or ever."

"So what is it then?", Ace asked.

"We're not exactly sure," the Major admitted. "Based on these reading Command thinks it might be this individual," he nodded to Michelle who pulled up an image of a hefty looking mole-sejin wearing heavy coveralls goggles with lenses that were heavily shaded that covered his eyes. "This is, and I'm not joking here, Blinky. He specializes in the extraction of items that are underground, usually those that belong to somebody else."

"Is there anything out there that he might be after?", D.E. asked. "An underground government facility or something?"

"There nothing out there that I can tell," Michelle answered. "I even hacked a few unofficial government agencies computers and found nothing." The Major shot her a look. "Won't happen again, I swear."

Still looking at her for a moment he turned to them, "At any rate Command wants you to head down there and see if it is Blinky, and if it is find out what he's after."

"We should be able to handle this with just the four of us," Ace assured him.

"We should go with a full squad just in case," Dan said surprising all of them. "Nobody knows what he's after and you guys might need the extra fire power." He walked foreword holding the sling in his hand. "Or at least an extra set of eyes."

"Captain I have not cleared you for active duty yet," Rev told him sternly.

"I'm well enough for this one," he told him. "It's a simple mission, I won't be that much of a burden."

"No offence Cap," Ace spoke up, "but if things get heavy I don't want to have to worry about you and your injury in the middle of things."

"I'm nearly healed," he argued. "Rev just has me wearing this thing as safety precaution. I don't really need it." Dan didn't see Michelle get next to him until she grabbed his left arm. Without warning she quickly raised it up. He couldn't stop from grunting in pain and grabbing his arm.

"Nice try Dan," the Major told him, "But until Rev gives me the ok you're staying here with the rest of us."

"Ah Major, "Michelle spoke up, "I agree with Cap's assessment that a full unit should be deployed for this assignment. And seeing how this is a special situation I volunteer to take his place for this one."

He nodded, "Dan did say he wanted you in the field more often so you could gel with the rest of the team. And this does look like the perfect opportunity so permission granted."

"Sorry I had to hurt you like that Dan," Michelle said as she helped him put the sling back on, "but somebody has to make sure you don't reinjure yourself."

Dan rubbed his arm again, "With friends like you who needs enemies?"

"Don't pout." She gave him a quick kiss in the cheek, "I'll bring you back something nice."

"If there's nothing else, head out," Pierce ordered.

"Rodger," they replied. Ace leaned over to Michelle as the other headed for the ready room, "You just wanted to get out of here didn't you?"

"Shh," she joked with a smile. Ace started to look apprehensive as she approached the door.

"Ace," Dan called out, "remember, what happened with Waven was a fluke. You're more than capable in handling this."

With a grateful smile she said, "Thanks Cap," and headed for the door.

"Ace," he called out again to stop her, "This mission isn't a silent op, so if you need an outside opinion on anything don't hesitate to call in."

Raising an eyebrow slightly she replied, "Right Cap."

"Ace," he said for the third time.

She turned around and went, "If anything happens to Michelle give my heart to God because my ass belongs to you, I got it."

His eyes going wide as she left the room he quickly said, "I wasn't going to say that!" The Major started laughing, "I wasn't going to say that."

"No but you were thinking it," he said.

"Stuff it," he purposely waited a few seconds before adding, "sir." Pierce continued laughing as he left the room. Not sure what else to do Dan took Michelle's chair at the consol. "So this is what a fifth wheel feels like."

***

Ace had to keep reminding herself that Michelle was with then because every time she turned her head she was expecting Cap to be sitting there. The other were doing it too, it was so weird to see somebody else in his chair. "So how is it?", she ended up asking.

"A lot more comfortable than Boomer's chair surprisingly enough," she answered.

"I don't see why," D.E. spoke up, "We all have the same one,"

"It's possible it's in my head because it's his seat," she theorized.

"A possibility," Rev agreed.

"I'm not picking up any stray signals to or from the area," Boomer announced. "If Blinky's there he's running silent. And I can't believe I just said that out loud."

"Onboard sensors are picking that seismic reading again," Michelle said reading the data off of Dan's screen. "Something's there if it's not Blinky."

"We'll find out soon enough, preparing to land and get ready for a hike," Ace announced. A few minutes later the Machine Shepard touched down and Ace powered down the engines. "Any life signs out there."

"I am registering something," Rev replied. "Humaniod, underground that's all I can tell at the moment. I am having a hard time getting a clear reading."

"I think I see why," D.E. said. "I'm getting some kind of stray energy reading, look like it's underground too."

Ace looked over to Michelle, "You sure it's not a government facility or something."

"Positive," she answered.

"Right, all right I want this done by the numbers. We find out what the sensors are picking up and take it out if we have too. Rev if we have to go underground I want you to take point with that super hearing of yours."

"Rodger," he answered.

"Let's get going people," Ace told them as she got up. "The faster we get this done the faster we get to head back and rub it into Cap's face that we didn't need him." Rev looked confused as Boomer and D.E. bumped fist.

Boomer held back a bit as the other headed for the ramp. Checking to make sure nobody was looking he jumped into Cap's chair, "Hey."

***

Chatrox waited as patiently as he could by a particularly large hole, the hood of his cloak pulled over his head as far as possible. Despite the fact he was in the middle of nowhere with no one else around he despised being out in the open like this. He was reminded of an ambush he found himself in the middle of back when he was in SPD. And none of the bottom feeders in charge knew where his true allegiance was. But Chatrox didn't complain, it was one of the few situations where he could cut loose while wearing the badge and not get reprimanded for it. In fact the idiots actually gave him a medal. Still at the time he questioned his own odds at surviving the encounter and was in no rush to repeat the experience.

A cough put him on his guard as he looked at the hole. Moments later Blinky came trudging out of the hole brushing the dirt off of him. With a laser drill rid strapped to his chest he looked at the Agent. Chatrox thought he saw the mole-sejin eyes blink behind those dark shaded goggles. "Well howdy there Agent. What are you doing around these parts?"

"It's certainly not for the company," he sneered. "What's the status of the target?"

"It's not here." He answered.

"What?!", Chatrox felt his cold blood throb in his head. "It has to be here. The coordinates were calculated precisely to this area of this backwater planet."

"Now I don't anything about any fancy calculating but it's not here." He produced a data pad from his coverall, "I've been over, under and around this spot and outside of some terran bones there ain't nothing here. If I had my say about thing then I say this was a wild mynock chase."

Chatrox studied the pad in his hands for a moment. Reaching out he took it and flipped it over and put it back into his hands. "Try reading the map right side up this time around."

Blinky started rubbing his head, "Well that's mite embarrassing."

"We are both getting paid a large amount for finding this item," the Agent reminded him. "I suggest you do your job a little more competently."

"And I've been doing line of work before you were even hatched son," Blinky shot back. "Besides I don't see you strapping a rig on and looking for it."

"I am only here to provide security," Chatrox told him, "outside of the finders few I am receiving for the job. Security, might I add, you refuse to take."

"You mean those fancy robots you whipper snappers are using now a days," he waved them off. "Those things just get in my way. Besides I don't trust anything smarter than a toaster. I wouldn't even be using this contraption," he patted the rig, "if some of my clients didn't insist on a hasty delivery. I tell ya kid there's nothing like breaking through the ground with a shovel and a pick axe."

"How quaint," Chatrox snorted. "I don't care how you do it, just get the job done." He turned around and faded from sight. Blinky adjusted his goggles as he read the righted map. Walking about five yards to his left he adjusted some of the dials in the rig. A huge laser beam hit the ground while a smaller beam spun around the larger on to assist in "digging" the hole.

***

"Ok we are officially lost," Boomer said after their current search pattern continued to find nothing. "That's like the fifth time we passed that rock."

"It's just the heat affecting you," D.E. told him. "Right Rev? Wait I forgot, this is a warm summer night to you right?"

"Indeed it is Terry," the alien answered. "This type of temperature is similar to my spring."

"Once again I am not visiting your planet," Boomer told him.

"Any luck on that life sign reading Rev?", Ace asked trying to get them back on the mission.

"Nothing positive as of yet Trish," Rev replied. I am still getting some kind of interference in from the area. It's keeping me from getting an exact reading."

"I'm getting it too," D.E. announced. "I can't even get an exact lock on the Shepard and I can see where we parked it. It seems to be getting stronger the closer we get to it. I'm still trying to figure out what it is so I can help Rev."

"Let me have a go," Michelle said as she turned around and held out a hand. "If I can't figure it out nobody can." D.E. handed her the scanner and she worked on it a bit. "I think I have an idea, Rev let me see your scanner." He complied and she started reworking the settings while occasionally taking a look back at the one in her hand. "That should help out a little. I readjusted the sensitivity level based on the interference. It won't give us an exact reading but it should narrow down the search."

"Ah," Rev proclaimed as he checked the readings, "that is a marked improvement, thank you Michelle."

"I would have thought of that," D.E. said, "eventually."

"I'm sure you would have D.E.," Michelle assured him, "just trying prove my worth."

"We told you all along you're part of this team Michelle," Ace told her. A few seconds later her License started to beep, "Gee, I wonder who this could be?"

"Took him longer than I thought it would," Michelle laughed.

"OpsBase to Ops5," Dan called over the link.

"Michelle's fine Cap, no need to check in," Ace told him.

There was a small, short curse only Rev heard before Dan continued, "I think I know what's out there. I was going over some of the more recent reports and came across one about an Andromeda war cruiser that exploded from a core breach about halfway between Earth and Mars sometime last month. That cruiser was apparently carrying low yield Nova class warheads."

"Define low yield," Boomer asked.

"If this report is right we're talking about a creator the size of New York City."

"Sounds about right," D.E. commented.

"I played a hunch and looked over the orbital readings for the past couple of weeks. The SpaceBase marked down what they identified as an asteroid impact close top where you're located. One of the tech guys around here helped me plot a projection of the asteroids path. And based on what he did it looks like it came from the same area the war cruiser. Nothing concrete but it's a good chance it's the same thing."

D.E. half listened to what Cap was saying as he adjusted something on his scanner. Grinning ear to ear he said, "And we got an exact read out. Nova class warheads emit a unique form of interference that purposely screws with scanners that makes them harder to lock on to and shoot down."

Michelle looked over at Ace, "That's why he's the weapon expert."

"Cap," Ace spoke up, "is the warhead active?"

"All the information about this particular warhead is coming up as classified so I'm taking that as a yes."

"So we have a possible active warhead and an Alienizer trying to dig it up," Ace stated. "And I thought this day was going to be boring."

"Listen, all of you be careful," Dan told them. "OpsBase out."

Closing her License Ace looked at D.E. and Boomer, "If worse came to worse to you think you…", she trailed off a bit.

"With Boomer helping me out I'm pretty sure we can do it," he answered.

"No offence D.E. but I don't think 'pretty sure' is going to be good enough." He nodded in agreement.

Michelle held Ace back a bit as the boys continued one before saying, "Would Dan be that blunt?"

"I'm not Cap," she answered, "and he told me not to be him."

***

Grunting Blinky was pulling the warhead out if the ground. He should have asked that Agent for a trolley or something to get this out of here. Then again he'd probably insist on using those blasted machines. That's the problem with the young un' now a days, no taste for some honest work. With one final tug the warhead was cleared from the hole. "Now what did I do with that blasted communicator," he muttered as he checked his pockets.

"Looking for something?", a female voice called out. Blinky turned around and saw five individuals dressed in black, four with a colored star on their right shoulder. He focused on the black badges on their chest and gulped. "Blinky, step away from the warhead," Ace commanded, "and you are under arrest for theft in several sectors."

"I guess you youngsters got me," The mole said then quietly hit a switch on the rig. The small laser popped up and started to spin. He swung his body around to create a wide firing arc to make them fall back. "Take that you whipper snappers!"

"Change standby!", Ace called out. "Emergency! DekaOps!"

"Emergency! DekaData!", Michelle joined in.

Each one was surrounded by a digital field as the Dekametal formed around them and created the Dekasuits. "Face on!", they shouted and the Dekametal formed the helmets around their heads. "Special Police," Ace said and the lights on their helmets started to flash. Together they said, "DekaOps!"

"Eat dirt!", Blinky shouted as he waved the laser around.

Rev went for his D-Shooter. "No guns," Ace told him, "we can't risk hitting the warhead." Reaching into her pack she pulled out her D-Rod, "Try to flank him."

"Easier said than done," D.E. commented. The next several moments dealt with Blinky using the rig to hold them back. For a mole that big he was pretty fast on the draw, every time one of them saw an opening he quickly closed it. Rev tried to jump over the beam but the mole backed up quickly and nailed him with the beam. His suit sparked from the impact but it help up. D.E. used the moment to roll foreword and jam his D-Knife into the Laser's track forcing I to stop spinning. Ace ran in with her D-Rod glowing and sliced the laser off. Michelle and Boomer rushed in and kicked him back. What they weren't expecting was Blinky falling back and hitting the warhead. Part of it started blinking and all of them stopped and stared at it.

"Oh shit," Ace muttered.

"I don't think that's good y'all so I'll be seeing ya," Blinky announced as he got up and ran out of there.

"Boomer, D.E.," Ace quickly said.

"We got it," D.E. told her. "Rev we could use an extra set of hands."

"Right, Michelle we got the mole," Ace said as she started running after him.

"You got it," Michelle replied.

Boomer tossed D.E. a screwdriver and they started on the bolts that held down a panel below the blinking light. "I have never worked on an explosive device before," Rev told them.

"It's just like operating on a person," D.E. informed him. "You got to know where to cut and where not to cut."

"Except when the patient dies you die with him," Boomer added.

D.E. glanced up at him, "I wasn't going to tell him that."

"My bad," Boomer said as they took off the panel.

"I am fully aware of the dangers of the situation Terry," Rev said.

"Well, if it helps you any think of it as you're our nurse this time around."

Ace and Michelle had a hard time keeping up with Blinky. Suddenly he whipped round and activated the rig big laser. They jumped to the side, neither wanting to test the Dekametal against that. The beam started to sputter and disappeared. "Stupid contraption,' Blinky said as he started slapping the rig.

"Go!", Ace yelled as both of them got to their feet and ran in again.

Blinky got the beam working again and Michelle raised her left arm up and ran her finger down the first row of keys on the keypad. "Barrier shield!", she shouted as she spread her arms wide. The beam from the rig hit the energy shield and Michelle was forced to take several steps back but refused to fall down. Ace ran up behind her, jumped up and leaped off her shoulder. Blinky looked up in surprise as she pulled her D-Shooter and shot the rig several times. The beam died down and the shield faded away. Michelle pulled out her DataLicense and switched it to Judgment, "Target orders."

"Now what a second darlin'", Blinky started as the area went dark. A red X and blue circle started flashing between them as the mole was scanned. After a minute the red X shined brightly.

"Eliminate target," Michelle said. Punching a code she went to a knee as the cyclindars on her back swung up and pointed straight ahead. Ace got her D-Shot ready and stood behind her. Michelle hit the trigger on the cannons, "DataBlast!"

Ace pulled the trigger, "Strikeout!". Seconds later Blinky was deleted, "Got you."

"Who needs Dan?", Michelle said as she raised a hand. Ace looked at her. "After they defuse the warhead, right."

At that moment D.E. and Boomer were both elbow deep in the guts of the warhead. "I see the detonator," Boomer announced. After a few seconds he said, "Damn it, I was afraid of that."

"Did they modify it?", D.E. asked already knowing the answer.

"Afraid so."

"That is bad correct?", Rev asked.

"Just makes it a little more difficult," D.E. told him. "And Boomer don't add anything."

"I don't have time. D.E. do you recognize what they did to this thing?". Boomer moved aside slightly so D.E. could get a better look. "Those three circle lights."

"I see them. Yeah I know what that is. It's going to be easy if I can reach it." D.E. reached in and struggled for a few moments, "No good, my hand won't fit in that opening."

"If yours won't fit than my definitely won't," Boomer told him. "Rev you hands are pretty small compared to ours you give it a go."

"I don't know…," he began.

"I'll walk you through it," D.E. assured him. "The middle light is the main part from the look of things."

"It is," Boomer agreed using a mirror. "I'm not seeing any wires connecting the other two.

"See if you can reach in Rev."

Rev cautiously put his hand in, "I am touching the light."

"Good, now do exactly like I say. Take a hold of the middle light and slowly and gently pull it out." Rev nodded began to pull. After three inches of it was exposed D.E. said, "Stop. Now twist it ninety degrees counter clockwise. Now slowly push it back in." It went in with a click that made them all flinch.

Boomer announced, "The light stopped blinking and we're still here. And Rev just defused his first bomb."

"A rush and a half ain't it buddy?", D.E. asked.

"Quite exhilarating," Rev answered, "and quite nerve racking. "

"Now we can celebrate," Ace said after they watched the whole thing in silence. The boys watched as the girls high fived each other.

"This was some experience," D.E. said to Boomer.

"Yeah," he agreed. "But it might be something we need to practice every once in a while, just in case." Both of them looked at Ace.

Putting a hand on her hip she said, "We are not keeping the warhead."

"The Major let me keep the repeater," D.E. argued.

"The repeater isn't going to blow up the base," she shot back.

***

Michelle came out of her quarters to find Dan waiting for her in the hallway, "How long have you been standing out here?"

"Not long," he said. "Want to go get some dinner?"

"Love too," she said as she took his good arm. "I just have to know, what made you think to look at the reports?"

"Honestly, I was bored out of my mind," he answered and made her laugh. "I don't know how you do it every time we go out on a mission."

"It helps when I think of the tight outfit my boyfriend ends up wearing," she said with a wicked smile.

"Hey now, keep it clean," he told her. "Speaking of reports, I read in Ace's you had a slight disagreement with her command style."

"It wasn't a disagreement," she corrected him. "I just didn't think she should have said that in front of D.E.. Do you think it's going to be a problem between them?"

"I already talked to both of them about it," Dan said, "and he had no problem with it. He told me she was just voicing what was already going through his head."

"Would you have said anything?", she asked.

"Me personally, no, but I'll be honest with you. I know D.E. and Boomer a two of the best, but I read the words Nova class warhead I had a few doubts pop in. And I'm not going to say anything more to Ace about it either. She has her command style and I have mine."

"It just seemed off to me," Michelle admitted.

"It something you better get used to when you go out on more missions," Dan told her. "Especially when Ace is the one in command. Speaking of more missions," Dan said with a hint of a smile as they walked into the cafeteria. The Major, Ace, D.E, Boomer and rev all looked like they were waiting for them.

"What's going on?", Michelle asked.

"Dan and myself had a interesting conversation while you were gone," The Major said. "And just to be fair I decided to include these four in that discussion. Dan if you would do the honors."

"Michelle," he started as he stood in front of her, "we have told you almost from the beginning that you are part of this team. And we decided that it was about time we made that official. Ace," she came foreword and revealed the white star she was hiding behind her back.

"You don't have to do this," Michelle said stunned.

"Oh yes we did," Boomer said grinning.

"Special situations or not you are one of us," Ace told her, "it's about time you started looking the part."

"I for one say it's about time," D.E. agreed.

"Congratulations Michelle," Rev added with a nod.

"You're in it deep now," Dan told her, "and there's no way to get out of it." Michelle hugged him suddenly, "Watch the arm."

"Sorry," she said as she stepped back. Dan took her lab coat as Ace pinned the star on her right sleeve. Dan gave her a quick kiss on the cheek then she said, "I don't know what to say."

"Say it's party time," Pierce said. "We didn't set all of this up for nothing."

"I'll drink to that," Ace said as she grabbed a beer. Dan quickly took it out of her hand, "Hey!"

"You're not even twenty-one yet," he informed her. Then he opened the can for himself.

"Oh come one."

Michelle looked at the star on her arm still stunned. She's been part of this since the beginning and never complained. But right now she felt like she really was one of the team, and she hasn't been prouder of anything in her life.


	24. Chapter 24

Special Police DekaOps

23

As much as he hated this planet, Chatrox was amazed at how many place there were for a person to hide. A faint light coming from deep inside a cave was the only hint somebody was inside. Even then he had to look for it as it was well hidden behind the brushes that were growing deep in the middle of the woods. So far the stories he had been hearing had been true. Now if it was really him. Turning invisible he made his way inside. His initial concern was tripping some sort of booby trap, but if it was him that would be the least of his worries.

He found the source of the light in an inner chamber. The light itself was a rounder older style interior light found on most cargo ships, and it was hooked up to a rather modern looking generator. Dressed in rags and kneeling before it was red skinned humanoid. His right eye and most of that side of his face along with his right arm was cybernetic. Any doubt Chatrox had about it being him quickly disappeared. But instead of feeling joyful he found himself being very afraid. A fear that grew when the persons head turned to face him, that cybernetic eye focusing right at him. "Leave now," the person ordered.

Seeing no point in hiding he turned visible and kept a tight grip of the handle of his knife under his cloak, "Nax, the most wanted assassin in the known universe."

He turned back to the lamp, "That life is behind me now."

Chatrox cautiously circled around him, "The bosses didn't know where you disappeared to. Rumors have started to spread that you were devoured by a black hole.

"I started that rumor," he said plainly. "It started out as an explosion on my ship and grew from there. Now leave me alone."

Again the agent didn't obey, "But to hide out on the most Deka infested planet in the known galaxy. That takes a special type of madness."

"Much like the type of madness that is keeping you here," Nax said adding a dangerous edge to his voice. To prove his point he added, "Do you really thing that knife or that device strapped to your chest is really going to help you?"

Chatrox let go of the handle and drew his cloak tighter around him, "Why did you run and hide Nax?"

"I didn't run," he replied without any emotion. "I got tired of that life, death after death after death."

"So you had a spiritual awakening and realized what you were doing was wrong," Chatrox taunted, realizing the dangerous game he was playing.

"I had an epiphany that the last death would be my own if I stayed in that life."

"Is the assassin afraid to die?"

"I am afraid of the unknown."

"Perhaps you should be afraid of the bosses," Chatrox told him. "No ones truly leaves this life Nax. Not of their own violation. The moment you disappeared and nobody could find any proof that SPD eliminated you there was a very large price placed on your head."

"And you are here to collect?", that edge returned to his voice.

"I am an Agent, not an assassin." Nax bristled and looked like he was about to strike out. "But I am willing to forget I ever saw you."

"And I can kill you now and not worry about paying you," Nax threatened.

Chatrox opened his cloak to reveal the device on his chest. "This sends my bio-reading to my personal Igadroid. If those reading ever stop he his to transmit my current location and the reason why I am here on all frequencies. Every Alienizer on the planet will know where you are. And I'm sure more than one will be looking to collect on that bounty."

"How much do you want?", he demanded, cybernetic finger twitching.

"You don't seem to have much," he commented while looking around. "So I am not looking for money. I want somebody eliminated." He threw a disk on the ground. An image of a human with short blond hair wearing a black uniform with a red star on his right shoulder hovered above it. "I had a plan in place to eliminate him personally then I started hearing the rumors about you being here. I just couldn't resist."

"Who is he?"

Chatrox grinned, "His name is Stevens, and he is a black badge that been a thorn in my side for far too long."

Nax looked curious, "Black badge? Since when has there been a black badges?"

"Ah yes," Chatrox remembered, "the black badges came into prominence shortly after you disappeared. Basically put, SPD High Command authorized the formation of some covert units designed to go in where they are not wanted and eliminate us at will. This human leads the unit based on this planet. I do not know where their base is but I have a general area where they have been seen frequently."

Studying the image Nax said, "I am going to need weapons."

"Of course," Chatrox said, "whatever you request, no charge."

"You must hate this particular human," Nax comment finally showing some emotion by smiling.

"Like I said he's been a thorn in my side."

"I'm going to miss this cave," Nax said looking around. "It was a place where I finally found some peace."

"Worry about your peace of mind later," Chatrox told him, "you have a job to accomplish."

***

The command room was buzzing with excitement, the field team got a night to themselves and they were all planning to go out. The Major smiled as the stress of their job lifted there faces. Or in Dan's case concern as apprehension replaced it. Of course the last time he met up with some old friends things didn't go all that well. Michelle, who was readjusting his bomber jacket, noticed as well. "You sure you want to go alone?", she asked. "I can get dressed in no time."

"No," he said, "they're just expecting me. I don't want to drop everything on Barry all at once."

"Well if things don't go well over there you can always join us at my folks place," D.E. said. "They've been wanting to meet you guys for awhile now."

"You can come with us Michelle if you want to get out of here, "Ace said.

D.E. agreed, "Yeah Michelle, my folks would love to meet you too."

"Sorry guys, that offer was just for Dan here," she told them while giving him a quick hug.

"Don't we feel special," Boomer deadpanned.

"Besides somebody has to get those security updates for the database that Command been barking about done," She told them. "Now I can get that done without the usual commotions," she looked slyly over to Dan, "or distractions."

"And to think I was happy when you two got together," the Major said as he left he room. "Now you guys are just getting annoying."

Dan leaned into Michelle, "You, me, his desk later."

"I heard that!", Pierce yelled from down the hall.

"Just checking," Dan called back.

"Terry," Rev spoke up, "I am still unsure of the protocols for such an event."

"Just be yourself Rev," D.E. told him. "My family already knows what we do so there no need to hide anything. And you know my little bro's been dying to talk to you again."

"Come on, we better get going," Boomer said. "We still got to swing by my place and pick up Lisa."

"Right," Ace said. "Catch you guys later," she told Dan and Michelle as they entered the elevator to the building on the surface.

"Have fun," Michelle told them. Of course she noticed Dan was still standing where he was. "Never thought I'd ever see you get cold feet," she commented.

"It's been over a year," he said. "I can just picture tonight already. They're going to catch me up on Danielle. Then they're going to tell me what they been up to. And at some point they're going to realize I'm keeping quiet about what I've been doing."

"Well," she started as she put her arms around him, "tell them you're working for the Major, but it classified. I'm sure both of them will understand. You can mention what kind of characters you're working with. From what you've told me about your old clique I'm sure Barry will get a laugh out of it. And if you want," she flipped her hair back, "you can mention you're dating a smart, particularly gorgeous woman."

"I am?" She reared her hand back like she was going to hit him. "I'm joking I'm joking."

"You're lucky you're still cute or you would be so dead right now." She put her arm back around him, "I know your ready for this, otherwise you wouldn't have asked me to look up his current number."

"A lot of guys can change in a year."

"And if that was true you wouldn't have spent an hour and a half talking to him. And if that emergency call didn't come in I'm convinced you would have talked all night. Go, you'll have fun, you'll regret it if you don't."

"How did I luck into getting with you again?"

"I beat you over the head until you realized what a great catch I am. Now get out of here I have updates to do," she said as she headed toward her station.

"Love you too," Dan said, smiling as he headed for the elevator. "They probably already took the good jeep."

***

"Here we are guys," D.E. announced as he stopped the jeep by the curb. "My home away from base." His parents' house was a single story, light blue house in the middle of a big yard. An older gentleman waved from the swinging bench on the porch. "Hey dad."

"Molly they're here," he called into the house then came toward the jeep. "Terry, I'm happy you and your friends could come. And I see you had to bring Bobby as well."

"Tonight is just not my night," Boomer said.

"I still love you baby," Lisa said kissing him on the cheek.

"I'm just pulling your leg Bobby, you know you're always welcome here," D.E. father said. "Just call first." He looked at the group and took a quick head count, "Hey where is your Captain?"

"He had plans to meet up with an old army friend he hasn't seen in a year," Ace explained.

"I totally understand, army buddies are buddies for life."

"Terry," his mother came out of the house.

"Momma," he met her halfway and gave her a big hug. "Have you been eating enough? You look like you lost weight."

"That's my line smart guy." She let go and gave Boomer and his wife a hug, "Hello you two, I'm sorry we couldn't make it to the wedding."

"Will you stop apologizing," Boomer told her. "It was a Caribbean cruise. I'm hoping I can save up enough to take Lisa on one."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Lisa said.

"It's good to finally meet you Mrs. Kennedy," Ace said as she took her hand. She was a little surprised when she was pulled in for a hug.

"Dear it's Molly and Tony," Molly said. "I get enough of that with people I barely know."

"Ranzack!", a young boy shouted as he came running out of the house.

"Hello again William," Rev greeted the boy.

"Nothing for your big brother?", D.E. asked.

"I can see you any time."

"Billy," Molly said appalled.

"It's ok Mom," D.E. said as put him in a headlock and headed for the house, "I'll take care of it like usual."

"A pair of nice boys," Molly said looking at the sky, "that's all I wanted."

"So Ranzack", Tony said as he put an arm around his shoulder and guided him toward the house. "I just have to know one thing. The grill's already fired up so how do you like your steak?"

"Still mooing," Boomer answered for him. Ace and Lisa both elbowed him in the side, "Ugh."

"Rare," Tony said, "my type of man."

***

Dan stood in front of the door and just stared at it. For the third time he started to knock but again he stopped. He'd faced off against enemy forces, human and alien. He stared down a countless number of bots. He barely even blinks when things turn into a fire fight. Yet this door was kicking his ass. The Major would be laughing his butt off if he could see him. He was caught off guard when it opened suddenly revealing an annoyed looking blond woman, "Since when is standing outside looking like an idiot been your idea of a good time?"

He smiled, starting to feel a little more at ease, "Hey Paula."

"Get you butt in here soldier," she said and gave him a quick hug when she did. Closing the door she announced, "He finally decided to come in." A small girl quickly ran toward him, "Dani I told you no running in the house."

She didn't listen as she grabbed him around the leg, "Uncle Danny!"

"Hey munchkin," he said as he picked her up. "Man you're getting big. What have you guys been feeding her?"

"Talk to her father," Paula said as she took her. "I been wanting to keep her small, but Barry insist on letting her grow up."

"Oh sure blame the guy in the wheelchair," Barry said as he wheeled himself to the door. "What's up man?"

"Not much man," Dan replied as he took his hand.

"So is that rock you been hiding under still going to be there when you get back," he joked.

"I got it bolted down," Dan chuckled.

Dani got out of her mother arms and took her godfather's hand, "Wanna see what I did in school?"

"Sure kiddo," Dan said without much choice but to follow her.

"So what are you up too now a days Danny?", Barry asked as they followed. "It's like you fell off the face of the planet or something."

Those nerves suddenly came back, "I'm… working with Major Pierce again actually."

"There another guy who dropped off the map," Barry commented. "So what are you guys doing?"

"Ah…", Dan stalled trying to figure out what to say.

"It's probably one of those super secret military things," Paula said. "You remember what it's like."

"Here it is Uncle Danny," Danielle said excitedly. She handed him a painting that was actually pretty good for a six year old. "Do you like it?"

"This is excellent munchkin," Dan told her. The little girl beamed.

"Dani's teacher says she the best painter in her class," Paula said.

"You're taking after your mother munchkin, that's good," Dan said, "because I'm sorry to say your daddy has no talent what so ever."

"You weren't saying that when I was pulling your backside out of that foxhole," Barry told him.

"Come on Dani," Paula said taking her hand, "let's get the table ready for dinner."

"Ok," Dani replied.

"I'm glad you called man," Barry said after they were alone.

"I'm glad I did too," Dan said as he took the chair that was next to him.

"It's been a hell of a year Danny," he said looking thoughtful. "With what happened to Jase, Petey dying and Andy apparently going nuts." Dan got real uncomfortable real quick and looked away. His friend didn't notice as he continued. "The Eagles were flying high back in the day. Looks like you're the only one doing any flying," he grinned while adding, "Fast track."

"Not quite so high now a days Hot Shot," Dan smirked.

"So what are you now any way?", Barry asked. "Last I heard you were a Lieutenant."

"I'm a Captain now actually, I got the rank after I joined up with Pierce."

"So what type of crew do you got working under you now?"

Dan thought about it, "The type you'd expect the Major to put together."

"The type of crew that'll make you want to pull your hair out," Barry laughed.

Dan laughed too, "At first but they grow on you."

***

Nax, now wearing a black body suit with an extra weapon belt strapped across his chest, walked toward the factory in front of him. This place would be the perfect place to attract his attention. That was the plan: get this Stevens' attention, do the job and get out of there quick. Not that he was worried about Stevens teammates, he never, ever trusted an Agent. More than likely this Chatrox would try to blackmail him again or sell him out to the highest bidder. Which was exactly why he had his ship nearby and ready for a fast take off. He was going to punch in some random coordinates and hit the nearest star portal, hopefully he find someplace secluded rather quickly.

"Hey you!", a security guard called out and tried to get in his way. "You're not allowed here." Nax made a fist with his cybernetic hand and a spike came out of his knuckle. He jammed it into the guards' throat and let him drop, quickly losing blood. The guard partner saw that and ran for his life. Pulling a small cylinder off the strap around his chest he tossed it at a tower. It was incinerated a moment later. This would do for a start.

***

After a couple of hours they put Danielle to bed and the adults spent the next few hours catching up. Dan was relieved at how little Barry and Paula changed over the year. He was starting to worry about how much he had changed after joining SPD. If he had they weren't letting on. Dan was currently watching their reaction after what he told him about his team.

"I still can't believe you made the youngest woman there your second in command," Paula said.

"That's how Danny is," his friend defended him. "He only picks the people he feels he can trust. In every unit I ever been in with him there was always the guy the brass thought was his second because of rank. Then there was the guy he actually turned to behind their backs. And most of the unit thought that way too most of the time."

"And the ranked guy never complained," she asked.

"Well there was that one guy," Dan answered. "What was his name? Rodgers I think."

"Oh yeah him," Barry grinned.

"He was making some noise at first. Then somebody put a homemade stink bomb in his tent while he was asleep."

Paula's' jaw dropped, "You didn't."

"Don't be looking at me." She looked at Barry.

"Hey I wouldn't have done anything if my CO didn't put the idea in my head."

"I would never do that," Dan stated. "Besides, if you were actually listening to me you would have put the camel shit in his boots."

"So what happened, did Rodgers find out?"

"Unfortunately," Dan answered, "and he had me deal with it. So I gave Barry a very stern talking to, while trying very hard not to laugh because it was pretty damn funny. I don't know what you guys put in that stink bomb but he had that smell for days." Dan reached for the coffee pot on the table to refill his cup, Paula beat him to it, "I can do it."

"You're a guest in our house Dan," she told him. "Now sit and relax. So are you seeing anybody at the moment?"

"Yeah, her name's Michelle, she pretty special."

"You got a picture of her?"

"Paula," Barry said.

"It's alright," he pulled out his wallet. "Here's one we took a couple of weeks ago."

"She's a looker," Barry said. "How in the hell did you get with her?"

"Barry," Paula shot back. Then she noticed the other picture in his wallet. "We have to get you a current picture of Danielle."

"I'd like that."

"So where did you two meet," Paula asked.

He already knew what they're reaction was going to be, "I… work with her." Like he thought they looked at him stunned.

Then Barry started grinning and looked at his wife, "You owe me twenty bucks."

Dan looked at them, "You're betting on my love life?"

"No," Barry corrected him, "we were betting on you finally breaking that stupid rule of yours."

"It's not a stupid rule," Dan said a little defensively.

"Honey, trust me it's a stupid rule," Paula told him while patting his knee.

"Mommy," Dani said as she came downstairs and rubbing her eyes.

"Did we wake you sweetie?", Paula asked as she got up.

"I can't sleep."

"We'll let's try again. It's time for big girls like you to get their sleep. Now say good night again."

"Good night munchkin," Dan said as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Get that pinky up mister," Dani said before Paula could guide her back upstairs. Something in her voice made his little finger go straight up.

Looking at Barry he asked, "Have you ever told her she reminds you of sergeant we used to know?"

"Constantly," Barry said. His OpsLicense went off. "So I'm guessing that's you?"

"Afraid so. Is it ok if I take this in the kitchen?"

"Go ahead man. Hopefully they're just checking in on you."

"I wish," Dan mumbled as he entered the kitchen. Making sure the door was closed he switched his License to Phone. "This is Stevens, go."

That was followed by a, "This is Ops5."

Michelle spoke next, "Sorry to disrupt the festivities but I just intercepted a report of some sort of disturbance at the Mason factory. I'm getting conflicting reports about it, some are saying it's an alien other are saying it's a robot of some kind. The locals already arrived but they can't find anything about what caused it."

"I past that on the way here," Dan said. "I'm about a couple of miles away. I'll check it out and see if I can find anything. Michelle, see if you can get the locals out of there so they don't get in the way."

"Hang on and we'll join you," Ace said.

"Stay on stand by for now," Dan said. "I'll go in first and scout the situation."

"You sure that a good idea Dan," Michelle asked him.

"We don't even what there yet," Dan said. "It could be some sort of prank from the sound of things. No point in going full force until we know for sure. Ace, let the other know just in case."

"Rodger," she complied.

"Michelle I'll let you know what I find out."

"I'll be waiting for your call," she said. Dan just happened to turn around and see Barry in the doorway.

"Stevens out," he said as he lowered his License. How was he going to explain this one?

"And to think I knew you when you were anti-SPD," he said as he wheeled over to the sink. "So I'm guessing your part of that mystery Deka team that McGee guy keeps ranting about."

"Barry look…", he started.

"Maybe," he continued," it because I've been on a few covert assignments in my day, but I can see a need for one in SPD. I don't now what changed your mind but after awhile of just watching the news you can see how dumb we were back then. Don't worry, I won't tell Paula why you left. Just kick some alien butt and remember you are welcome back here anytime. And bring Michelle, she sounds nice. Actually she sounds like a saint if she willing to put up with you."

"Thanks Barry, you have no idea how much that means to me. I'll explain it to you later." He started to leave but something that been nagging his mind stopped him. "Barry, tell me something, why did you believe me when Jase and Petey didn't?"

"I know you man," Barry answered. "If you did turn Andy in you wouldn't have lied about it. You would have looked us right in the eyes and told us you did it. The other couldn't look past the rank or something. Now go get that guy and remember we are doing this again."

"Thanks again Barry."

"Thank me by helping me build a moat around the house when Dani becomes a teenager."

Dan grinned, "I'll even scare away the first couple of boys for you." Barry laughed then he headed for the front door.

***

"Did Cap seem a little off at the end there to you?", D.E., who had been listening in, asked.

"A little," Ace admitted.

"Do you think he got caught?"

"What? No," she quickly dismissed it. "Cap's too good for that. Even if he did he'd find a way to cover it up."

"Wow Ranzack," Billy suddenly exclaimed, "You're really good at this game." They looked over and say Rev playing a video game with him. Then they noticed his score.

"He's a little too good," D.E. commented. "I thought we helped him break that habit."

"We better nip this in the bud now," Ace said, "Or Cap's gonna put our butts in some slings."

***

Like he thought he did pass the factory on his way here. By the time he pulled up a regular police patrol car was starting off, "Thank you Michelle". Dan studied the place from the jeep. Something happened here alright. Yellow police taped blocked off a hole that was roughly larger than a human, and it looked like that creator was rather new. But no visual signs or trace of the person or persons who did it. He was starting to think this was some sort of intergalactic college prank, then he saw the chalk outlines on the ground. Making sure nobody as watching he quickly crossed the road and climbed over the fence. He rotated his shoulder slightly after landing, Rev may have given him the green light but it was still a little tender. Dan pulled out his License to do a scan of the area but was getting some type of interference, "What the hell?"

"Stevens!", a voice made Dan look around. Seeing nothing he looked up and saw a red skinned alien with cybernetic parts standing on top of a water tower. "My Name is Nax, and I have been sent to kill you." Dan vaguely recalled a Nax from the database as he went over his options. "Now before you get any ideas about calling your comrades I should tell you that my client has surprisingly intimate knowledge about SPD frequencies and right now all of them are being jammed."

Dan took a quick glance at his License, it told him the same thing. Somebody who wanted him dead and had that kind of inside info about SPD? All of the clues added up to one thing, "Chatrox." Looking back up at Nax he shouted, "So why haven't you done the job yet. You had me as soon as I entered the lot from that vantage point."

"I never cared about the far away kill, it never seemed honorable. I prefer to look my target in the eyes as they die as a show of respect. Besides you Deka are more interesting to hunt after you suited up," he grinned sinisterly.

Closing his OpsLicense he switched it over to change, "Then I'm not going to disappoint. Emergency! DekaOps!" Dan was surrounded by a red digital field as the Dekametal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark red stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the red and black formed the outline for a number one. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Deka metal flashed over his head and formed a dark red helmet.

Dan drew his D-Colt and started running to the side as Nax aimed his blaster. They both pulled the trigger on their respective weapons. Energized slugs passed each other on their way to their intended target. Nax moved to the side to avoid getting hit while the ones after Dan hit the ground behind him. The assassin changed his aim to hit the ground in front of him. Dan leaped forward to avoid the shots, rolled as he landed and brought his D-Colt back up. Nax was gone. Quickly checking the ground and seeing nothing he looked back up at the catwalk around the tower. He saw movement and fired forcing Nax back. The alien smiled to himself, "This could be fun."

Seeing a truck behind him Dan quickly went for cover while keeping his eye on the tower. Both of them exchanged another round of fire while trying to figure out a way to get the advantage. Nax grabbed another cylinder off his belt and used his electronic eye to pinpoint his aim and threw it. Dan saw it the air, "Shit," and ran as the truck behind him exploded as soon as it landed. Dan turned around to see Nax sliding town the water tower's ladder. Then he stopped mid way and fired at him. Dan barely just got out the way as the shots whizzed past him. Seeing he was close to the factory he made a run for it. His luck was going to run out eventually if things stayed out in the open.

Nax realized what the human was thinking and let him enter the building. It only made thing more interesting. Cautiously he made his way to the door the Deka just smashed through. Heavy machinery was everywhere, and something about it was interfering with his eye. Outside the occasional of a heat signature he wasn't getting anything. He pointed his blaster at those flashes but didn't fire. No point in wasting bullets needlessly. Meanwhile Dan was hiding behind one of the metal presses looking at the pad in his left hand after he threw the sky probe into the air. "Come on where are you?", he muttered to himself. Eventually Nax entered the picture. He looked right at the probe and smiled. Raising his blaster he shot it. Dan stopped paying attention to the pad the moment Nax spotted it and looked in the general area of where the probe was and saw it explode. "Got you," Dan said as he got out of hiding and ran to that area.

Nax looked around quickly figuring the human was close by. He turned around to see the human come at him firing. Returning fire he was able to hit the Deka several times while he took a hit to the shoulder. He nodded approvingly as the Deka got to his feet and came at him again. "It's been awhile since I took on a warrior," and ran in too. Neither fired their weapons but when he was close enough Nax raised his. Dan rolled foreword, ducked a punch from the alien free hand and kicked the gun out of his hand as he turned around. Dan raised his sidearm quickly but Nax was faster as he grabbed him by the wrist with his cybernetic arm and squeezed. Resisting as hard as he could his hand eventually betrayed him and opened up dropping the D-Colt to the ground. Nax threw him to the side and kicked the D-Colt away. "Let's see how you are warrior to warrior."

"Let's rock." Neither waited to get in position before going hand to hand. Both were able to counter the others' punch, kick or throw. Dan tried to avoid that cyber arm more than anything since he had no idea of what it could really do. Nax was amazed this Deka was able to keep up with him. They locked up and looked at each other. "You talked about being honorable," Dan said. "So why kill innocent people?"

"A necessary evil," Nax explained, "to get your attention." He pushed Dan away and reached behind his head. "This has been fun, in fact I wish I could battle more people like you," he pulled out a sword that had a faint energy glow around it, "but regretfully this must come to an end." Dan backed up with each swing watching as it sliced through the machinery around them. Jumping to the side unexpectedly Dan unlatched his D-Shot and fired a round off quickly. Nax dropped to the floor as a hole was blasted in the machine behind him. He got up and ran for cover as Dan primed another shot and fired. Much to his dismay he lost track of the Alien pretty quick. Slowly walking through the factory he looked and listened for any sign of the assassin.

Hearing something drop behind him he looked up and saw the alien prepare to drop down on him. The blade came at him and on instinct he put the D-Shot up to block the strike. His weapon was no match for the blade as it cleanly sliced through it. Briefly looking at the exposed insides of his weapon he dropped them and backed up reaching into his pack, coming out with his D-Rod in his right hand and his D-Knife in his left. Nax nodded in appreciation as he put them in a guard position. Again they stared at each other for a moment before circling each other, waiting for the other to make the first move. Energizing the D-Rod he swung it only to have it blocked. They went into another dance as energy flashed left and right, up and down and clanging metal filled the air. Dan got in a slash with his D-Knife that cut through his shirt and into his flesh. Nax got angry and slammed the blade down, Dan blocked it with the D-Rod but with a quick circular motion Nax disarmed him. A kick to the gut bent Dan over and a knee to the head knocked him down.

Looking like he was holding his back he reached into this pack one more time and pulled out his hold out D-Shooter, unleashing all four shots at the blade above his head. One of the shots hit something in Nax's cyber arm that caused his hand to pop open and drop the sword. Dan quickly got up and went at him, forcing him back from the assault. Making a fist Nax popped the spike slashing it across his opponent chest sending sparks flying in all directions. A hard side kick to the chest forced Dan against another metal press. Yelling Nax aimed the spike right at his head. Dan moved and he impaled the hydraulic line and he was sprayed by the contents. Trying to free himself he didn't see Dan spin around behind him. He jammed the D-Knife right into his cybernetic eye. Nax screamed in pain as he knocked Dan away, freed himself and pulled it out, a black liquid spurting out.

Trying to keep on his blind side he tried to take Nax down. Unfortunately that left him open to the spike. He was caught with a back hand that spun him around. Dan forced a leg out and kicked his opponent in the head. There was enough force behind it to knock him back a couple of feet. Dan got to a knee as a black and pink and a black and yellow clad individuals jumped over him and kicked Nax back even further. "Sorry we're late," Ace said. "We came as fast as we could after Michelle said she couldn't get into contact with you." Dan said nothing, he and Nax just stared at each other one more time. Disappointment etched the alien's face. If he had to be honest with himself, Dan was feeling it too. Both of them wanted to finish this one on one.

"I think Cap did most of the work already," Boomer commented.

"So let's finish it then." Ace pulled out her OpsLicense and held it up, "Target orders." After a minute the X shined brightly between them, "Eliminate target."

"Delete me if you must," Nax said standing up and pointing at Dan, "but he does it."

"We do not…", Ace started.

"Stand down Ace," Dan ordered sounding fatigued. They looked at him as he stood up and walked foreword. Holding out a hand Ace slowly put her D-Shot in his hand. Locking in his OpsLicense he pumped the grip and primed the shot.

"From one warrior to another," Nax sax tiredly but standing tall, "thank you."

Dan nodded and took aim, "Strikeout!" In moments Nax was no more.

He sat down and deactivated his suit as Ace and Boomer did the same and gave him some time alone as they searched the factory for the equipment he dropped and what was causing the jamming field. Boomer came up with both halves of his D-Shot, "Yeah that's coming out of the paycheck."

"So where are the others," Dan asked as he got some of his energy back.

"D.E. brother keeping Rev busy," Ace said as she and Boomer exchanged glances. "And D.E.'s mom had him cornered asking when he was going to find somebody and settle down. So we were the only ones able to get away." She gave him a concerned look, "So what was all that about?"

"I'll explain later," he said. Rubbing his neck he told them, "I was running out of trick there so I think I owe you guys one."

"You can pay me back by teaching me how to box," Ace told him.

"You want to learn how to box?", he asked.

She shrugged her shoulders, "Why not?"

"Cap," Boomer started to say.

"No," Dan quickly said.

"I didn't get a chance to say anything."

"I said I owed you guys one. She beat you to it."

"Well that's not fair," Boomer complained.

"You're right," Dan agreed, "let's hear it."

"I was wondering if we could get one of those robotic dogs like the other units have. The ones that turn into a cannon."

Dan thought it over for exactly two seconds, "No."

"Why not?", Boomer demanded.

"I'm allergic to dogs," he answered as he got up and headed for the exit.

"You said you had a dog growing up," Boomer reminded him.

"I'm allergic to robot dogs," he amended. "And I'm taking the good jeep."

"This really isn't your night is it," Ace joked.

***

Dan knew he should have headed back to base but he had one extra stop to make first. Pulling up in front of the house he saw the rest of his team and D.E.'s family standing outside. "Cap what are you doing here?"

"Just thought I stop by and say hello to your parents," he explained.

"So you're the guy holding the reigns on my boy," Tony said as he extended a hand. Dan took it, "Good grip you have there son."

"Thank you sir," Dan said. "I'm not blowing smoke by saying Terry one of my best men."

"He better be," Tony laughed, "runs in the blood don't you know. Say, are you alright son, you look a little beat."

"There was a situation, but it's taken care of," Dan explained. "I hate to great and run but I have to get back to base and file a report about that situation. Ace and Boomer should be pulling up pretty soon, but you can take your time getting back if you want."

"You got it Cap," D.E. said.

"Nice meeting you sir, ma'am," Dan said as he headed back to the jeep. He paused before turning on the engine, thinking about Nax. He wondered about what other assassins where on planet or on their way here. He'd have Michelle check it out when he got back. Some how he didn't think they'd be as honorable as Nax said he was.


	25. Chapter 25

Special Police DekaOps

24

The sun overhead shined down on the field of white below it. The near pristine snow betrayed nothing as three machines made their way over it. The snowmobiles where white with black trim with the SPD Earth symbol embossed on the side. Each of the five individuals riding the machines wore a white padded bodysuit, a black SPD badge on their chest. The lead machine in the middle came to a stop and the other two did the same. Rising up Dan lowered his goggles from his eyes and put a pair of binoculars to them. Still seeing nothing he looked to his right and asked, "Any idea how close we are?"

Michelle, who was sitting behind Ace, looked at the monitor in her hand. "We're near the projected landing area. There should be a sign somewhere."

"Maybe a few months ago when they first landed, "Ace reminded her. "If these guys are so dangerous why are we just hearing about it now?"

"Because Command didn't know about it until that other Ops unit did that raid," Michelle told her. "The Iczians are hard enough to track as it is. Most planets don't know they're there until it's too late. We got lucky this time around."

"Like a meteor hit in the Arctic wasn't a big enough clue," Ace shot back.

"Wouldn't Rev be helpful in this situation?", Boomer asked from behind D.E.. "Tracking life signs is kinda what he does."

"And Rev looked like he was about to fall asleep back in Alaska," Dan said replacing his goggles. "He'd probably be in a coma if we brought him up here, even with the polar suits."

"Who actually saw him yawn?", Boomer asked. Dan, Ace and D.E. raised their hands. "That was a rhetorical question."

"Look at the bright side," D.E. said, "at least we're getting to test drive these Machine Polar Bears. These babies handle like a dream."

"So why ain't I driving one again?", Boomer demanded.

"You lost the coin toss," Ace reminded him.

"Just remember to keep your hands above the waist buddy," D.E. said.

Boomer quickly pulled away, "That's not funny."

"Why do you think Dan won't let me ride with him," Michelle smiled. Ace shook her head. "What, they can joke but I can't?"

"In your case it wouldn't be a joke," Ace said. Michelle slapped her on the shoulder.

"People," Dan said sternly.

The other got serious as Michelle said, "Sorry."

"You can joke after we locate these guys," Dan told them. "D.E., Michelle work on a grid for a search pattern once we hit the coordinates. Boomer, listen for anything other than the chattering of your own teeth. Ace, you and me are going to keep our eyes peeled for anything that looks out of place." The team confirmed his order and they headed off again.

***

In an underground cavern dug out of the ice a creature in a robe and covered with white fur sat while he watched the screen made of ice. Various lights below it combined to form an image of the surface above. He leaned foreword a bit and raised his eyebrows slightly. "Darling," he called out with a slight gravely sound to his voice, "come look at this."

"What is it dear?", a female of the same species said. Wearing a longer robe with jewels in the labels she leaned on his shoulder. "More of those pesky humans?"

"It looks like it is, but they seem different." Waving his hand over a crystal like device the image changed to an readout with three still moving lines. "These are in a search pattern from the look of things."

"Do you think they're looking for us," she asked not sounding concerned.

"Well they did warn us about adding a planet with so many of these so called officers of interstellar law darling."

"I know dear, but remember we need to expand our territory some how, and show these lower life form the beauty and joy of the natural cold."

"I know darling," he sighed, "but it would be so much easier if they didn't fight back. How anybody can live in such weather. It's unnatural. It's uncivilized."

"That is why we made it our mission to civilize these primitives dear. It's a pity really that those 'officers' would rather cater to the common rift raft than do the bidding of the elite."

"It's not like those Alienizers are any better darling. All they care for is profit. I wouldn't be surprised if they fought along side the officers to try and stop us.

"And won't that be a sight to see," she laughed. "Well in a few hours it won't matter, the generator is almost ready. Then the beautiful cold will take over this poor planet."

"It will be a thing of beauty, almost as beautiful as you," he said as he took her hand and kissed it.

***

The search went on for another hour before Dan looked at the sky. It was going to be dark before they knew it, and while the polar suits were heated it was going to get cold fast and get harder to see. And they couldn't risk waiting for the sun to come back up. "Cap," Boomer shouted, "I saw tracks!" He pointed to an area behind them. Turning the Polar Bears around they went slow before Dan saw the tracks too.

Getting off the snowmobile Dan walked over and examined the tracks in the snow. Ace came up behind him and asked, "Are those what we're looking for or are those animals tracks?"

"I'm seeing human and animal traits," he said while gesturing at the tracks shape, "so it's definitely humanoid." Unzipping a pocket he took out his OpLicense and scanned the footprint. "The track fits the basic Iczian footprint, so we got a lead."

"Dan," Michelle called out, "I found another set of tracks."

Ace ran over and called back, "It's the same print."

"Are they heading that way?" he asked pointing in the directions the tracks were. She pointed in the opposite direction. "Great, one set going toward something and another heading away from something. So which is which?"

"Do we split up?", Michelle asked.

"No," Dan told her. "Either one can't be that far away, no matter how much these guys love the cold.

Boomer looked around and pointed at something, "How about that?" They looked where he was pointing and saw what looked like a hill of ice in the middle of the field. With a finger he traced the path of the tracks by him.

"And we have the tracks leading way from something," he said to nobody in particular. Looking the other way he didn't see anything of notice, so for the moment they had a destination. "Good eye Boomer. Try not to disturb the tracks to much, we may have to follow them the other way."

"That's two for me man," Boomer told D.E.. "Looks like that Dead Eye of your needs a vacation." D.E. hit the accelerator on the Polar Bear without any warning and Boomer almost fell off, "Whoa!"

They arrived at the hill in no time and the hopped off the Polar Bears and examined it. The tracks lead to the edge and disappeared. D.E. cautiously reached out and touched the surface and moved it over the ice. Suddenly he stopped and announced, "I think I found a crease." With his finger he followed it and traced an outline of a door.

"See if you can find a lock," Michelle said. "Maybe I can hack into it."

"Or we could have Boomer use his special key," Ace said. Boomer took off his backpack and took out five small disks with spikes on one side that he pushed into the door.

Dan and Ace drew their SP-Shooters and stood on either side of the door about a foot away from the edge as the other got behind them. Counting down with his fingers Dan gave the signal to activate the devices. They heated up quickly to melt the ice right to a gaseous state. Once the remaining ice fell away Dan and Ace moved and pointed their weapons into the opening. They found a stairway leading down. "Clear," Dan told them.

"I wonder how much Agents charge for robot anti-freeze," Boomer joked.

"You're not going to find out this time around, "Michelle told him. "Iczians are one of the few races the Alienizers won't deal with. I've read the case file where they tried. The Alienizers wanted to hold the planet hostage but the Iczians didn't care about the money. I won't go into the details but the disagreement between the two got ugly quick. The Iczians only goal is to expand their empire one flash frozen planet at a time."

"Which is why we have first crack," Ace said.

"Wait, do we judge them this time?", D.E. asked unsure about what the procedure for this one was.

"The major said this wasn't a silent operation, "Boomer informed him.

"The other units have been informed about the situation and have been put on standby," Dan added. "For any reason we fail the commanders are already cutting through the red tape." Dan went a few steps down and checked for any surprises. "They may not have any bots but these guys aren't defenseless. So keep your eyes open for anything." They complied and followed him down the stair well.

***

"Why those ruffians!", the male Iczain said outraged. "Just barging in unannounced! And destroying private property to boot. What kind of savages do they breed on this planet?"

"Calm yourself dear," his companion said. "You're heating yourself for no reason. It's not their fault they were not raised with proper etiquette."

"You're right darling," he said trying to force himself to relax. "It wouldn't be the first time some primitives tried resisting having their life improved. Which is why we had to create those things so we can 'communicate' in a language they will understand."

"Just sit down and try to remain calm," she gave his shoulders a quick squeeze. "I'll activate the Crytalines to take of them."

"Thank you darling, I don't know where I'd be without you."

***

The stairs lead to a hallway withy several doorways and turn offs. Checking each turn off they came across for any surprises D.E. and Michelle waved their energy scanners around. After a few moments Michelle ending up asking what was on all their minds, "Is it just me or is it getting colder?"

"It's not just you," Dan said. "I keep glancing at my Shooter to see if it's icing up."

"And it's not this cold outside either," Ace piped in. "I've checked the readout from where we landed the Shepard twice. It's forty degrees colder down here than it is topside. I'm starting to wonder if the polar suits are going to hold up."

"Then let's find that machine they're setting up and get this over and done with," Dan told them.

A second later they started to hear a crackling sound. The wall seemed to be falling apart. Then it looked like part of the wall was walking away from the rest. They were humanoid shape for the most part, but the pointed head had no recognizable features. Michelle knew what they were instantly, "Crystalines."

"Open fire!", Dan shouted but they didn't need the prompt. The Crystalines shook from the impact of the shots. Eventually they cracked and fell apart leaving nothing but chunks of ice.

"Well that was easy," D.E. commented. There was another crackling sound as the chunks started to shake. They moved toward each other and reformed their original form. "Or maybe not."

"I didn't see that hole coming," Dan said.

"This wasn't in any report I've read, "Michelle said. "It must be a recent upgrade." One of the Crystalines regained its' humanoid form and raised an arm. Several Ice shards flew toward them. Michelle dove for the floor as the others jumped to the sides. "I think that's new too."

D.E. quickly shot the arm, shattering it. But it quickly began to form again. "And that's getting old fast."

"Then we bring out the big guns," Dan told him. "Change Standby. Emergency! DekaOps!"

"DekaData!", Michelle added. Digital fields flashed around them as their respective Dekasuits formed around them. Michelle quickly ran her finger down the keypad on her left arm and held her arms out wide as another salvo came at her, "Barrier shield!" Several rounds of D-Colt and D-Shooter fire turned them into ice chunks again.

"Move!", Dan yelled as he ran toward the reforming chunks. They ran past them, Dan slid to a quick stop and aimed his D-Colt behind them. Ace and Boomer did the same as the mowed the Crystalines down again. "Boomer, Michelle find that machine and take it out. We'll cover you from here."

"Right," Boomer answered.

"Be careful," Michelle said as they headed started down a corridor.

"Always," Ace said as she squeezed off a shot that took the head off of one of the ice creatures. "Not to question your authority or anything Cap but how do we do that without running out of ammo first?"

"We find out how small a piece these things can regenerate from," he answered while holstering his D-Colt and unlatching his D-Shot.

"How did I know out were going to say that," D.E. said while he and Ace did the same.

***

"I say darling," the male said as he continued to watch the screen, "for a band of primitives they are rather surprising. It occurred to them to run past he Crystalines as they were reforming." Looking thoughtful for a moment he added, "Remind me to send a note to the researchers, there has to be a way to speed that process up."

"Of course dear." She leaned on his shoulders again, "So what are they doing now?"

"They split up apparently," he pointed at the screen. "This group here are attempting to hold the line while these two here…," he trailed off as he studied the situation a little closer. "My, this could be a bit of a problem."

"What is it dear?"

"Well these two ruffians appear to be heading for the ice generator. In fact it appears they have been able to lock onto it faster than I anticipated."

"Then it is a good thing I placed some Crytalines in the generator room as a precaution."

"Such foresight as always darling, do make sure they are properly taken care of."

"Of course dear," she kissed him on the top of the head and went to activate the guards in the generator room.

***

"I got a reading," Michelle said as the scanner started to beep. Boomer followed her as she ran toward the source. The beeps got louder the closer they got. Entering a large chamber they slid to a stop stared at a large machine that was a couple of stories tall, and looked like it went a bit into the ground beneath them.

"That's bigger than I was expecting," Boomer commented.

"It's designed to freeze the planet, it's not going to be small." Michelle entered a command into her scanner and pulled up a schematic of the generator. "Command was able to study enough of these things to identify a couple of weak spots we can exploit. It won't destroy it completely but it should stop them from activating it."

They heard the crackling sound again and got ready as more Crystalines came out if the wall. Boomer drew his D-Shooter and started shooting. Michelle decided now was good as any to try out that new program she developed. Running at the ones coming from the other wall she punched in a five digit code into her keypad, "Electro kicks!" Energy built up around her feet as she threw every kick she knew at the Crystalines. She stopped as they started cracking and shattered. Running back to Boomer she forced the scanner into his hand. "Go, we got to take that generator out."

"Do you have any idea what Caps going to do to me if I let anything happen to you?"

"Do you have any idea what he's going to do to you if you let the planet become a giant icicle?"

"Point," he conceded. Giving her his D-Shooter he said, "Take it you're going to have to keep them at bay for as along as possible."

"Right," she said.

Dan and the others were learning the hard way these things could regenerate from some pretty small pieces. And with the small amount of cover they have now it turning into a question of how many times could they do that before they, hopefully, degraded. "I could really use a flame thrower right about now," Ace commented as she put her back to the wall, as another volley of shards came at them.

"I'd settle for a hair dyer set on high set on high," D.E. half joked.

One of the Crystalines changed tactics and shot a stream of ice at them. Dan was a second too slow as his left arm was quickly frozen to the wall beside him. "Again with the fucking arm," he grunted as he reached into his pack. Extended his D-Rod to its' full length he smashed it against the ice until it broke and he could pull his arm free. "We're changing tactics," Dan ordered. Picking up his D-Shot he locked his License into it. "Bring down the house," he said as he pumped the grip and primed the shot. All three aimed their D-Shots at the roof above the Crystalines, "Strikeout!" The beams stuck the roof and huge chunks of ice fell on top of the ice creature.

They held their breath listening for that crackling sound. When it wasn't coming right away D.E. went, "Did we do it?"

"I'm not waiting around to find out," Dan said. "Come on, we got to see if Boomer and Michelle are having any trouble."

Michelle was barely holding her own while Boomer continued to place explosives on the generator. She tried to shot any of the creatures that were taking aim at him, at most she was able to distract them momentarily. She really needed to spend more time on the firing range. So it was time to play to her strengths. Creating some space by throwing some kicks she punched in another code, clapped her hands together and prayed this was going to work, "Electro charge!". Dropping to a knee she put both hands on the ground and an electrical charge ran through the ice. Like she hoped the Crystalines started to crack and stopped moving. She started smashing them as fast as she could. Then one reformed around her leg as she kicked it in the chest and it started to raise it's hand at her, "Oh shit."

"Michelle heads up!", Boomer shouted and dropped his D-Shot. She caught it, primed a shot and blasted the crystalline point blank.

It shattered and her leg was free, but she got herself in the process as she came away limping, "Fuck." Punching in another code the cylinders on the pack on her back flipped foreword, "Datablast!" She swung her body around as the green beam mowed through the Crystalines.

Boomer dropped down and grabbed her by the arm, "They're set, let's go!" They ran past the reforming ice creatures. As soon as they got past the door Boomer hit the trigger in his hands, "Fire in the hole."The explosives he placed went off. They heard a loud crackling sound as the lights went off and the emergency lights kicked in. Looking behind them they saw the Crystalines start to crumble. "Did we get lucky or what?"

A few minutes later they saw Dan and Ace slide across the floor at them and D.E. flew in their general direction seconds later. Michelle was shocked, "What's going on?"

"The alien snowman is kicking out ass," Dan grunted as they got to their feet. Just them the female Iczian came up behind them as the male stormed in from the front.

"Ruffians!", he bellowed. "How dare you come in unannounced and tear apart our home!"

"Hey," Ace cut him off, "you're the ones who snuck in and planned to freeze our planet."

"To bring you civilization," he dismissed her. "Now we have to start all over again."

"I don't think so," Dan told him. "Boomer put down the disk." The Iczians backed up as he took a silver disk out of his pack and placed it on the ground. After a moment the image of Commander Numa-O and Scorp hovered in the air.

"I assume you are the Iczian representatives for this particular endeavor," Numa-O started.

"I am," the male said. "Are you the one in charge of these ruffians?"

"In a general sense that I am the Supreme Commander of SPD. Commander Scorp here is the one in charge of the Ops program."

"Then I suggest one of you orders these… dogs out of our home and reprimanded then for the destruction they caused."

The clicks coming from Commander Scorp were translated, "But the truth of the matter is you this is not your home. You came to Earth illegally and plan on severely damaging it's ecosystems."

"We are here to save it," he argued, "to preserve it under the ice the natural cold provides. It is one of our gifts to the uncivilized in the universe."

"An unwanted gift," Numa-o stated sternly. "Planets are still out there trying to recover from your 'gift'. Let me cut to the chase, you are to stop your plans and leave the Earth immediately."

"And what if we refuse to be bullied like this by a commoner?"

"Because you are not part of the Alinizer organization," Scorp said, "we have held off on judging you. If you refuse to take this offer it will be waived. And I assure you the judgment will not be in your favor." Dan held up his OpsLicense and waved it slightly to drive that point home.

"What makes you think they will have the chance to do anything?"

"As we speak the other Earth Deka Units are preparing to come in and finish the assignment this unit started if need be," Numa-O informed him.

"And I have ordered the other Ops units to this planet," Scorp added.

"What are you going to do dear?", the female asked.

"If these primitives are that desperate to resort to that sort of violence to prevent this lowly planet from receiving our gifts, than it is not worth the effort. Come darling, let us leave these savages to their ways. I am sure we can find another planet in need of civilization." He took her hand and they walked off without another word.

After making sure they were alone Commander Scorp spoke, "Captain Stevens, I think it would be wise if you stayed in the area to make until after they leave. Just in case they decided not to keep their word to the 'primitives'."

"Understood Commander," Dan complied. "We'll report what happens after we get back to base."

"Make sure to leave a marker for your location in case they leave the generator," Numa-O added. "No point in leaving around to be found and accidently activated if it wasn't damaged enough."

"Will do, Steven out."

"SPD Command out," Numa-O said before the image faded away.

"Not to mention we still go to dig our way out of here," D.E. commented.

"What are you talking about?", Michelle asked.

"You'll know it when you see it," Ace told her. Then she noticed she was limping a bit, "What happened to you?"

"She took the phrase shooting yourself in the foot a little too literal," Boomer said.

"D.E.," Michelle said. He promptly punched Boomer in the arm, "Hey, you're right that is kinda fun."

"The mission not over yet people," Dan reminded them.

"Is he always like this after the bad guys are sent packing?", Michelle whispered to Ace.

"Usually until we get back to base," Ace answered.

"I was really hoping he was only like that because we lost Chatrox."

"Don't remind me," Ace told her.

"I don't know about you guys," D.E. said, "but as soon as we get back to base I'm going to find out exactly how hot those showers actually get."

"I'm never going to complain about winter ever again," Dan said out of the blue. Letting Michelle lean on him he headed for the entrance, "Come on the faster we start digging the faster we can go home when they leave."

Ace tapped D.E. on the arm, "Do you think she's making him a little soft?"

"Don't say that so loud," D.E told her. "Cap overheard me say something like that last week. Next thing I know I'm running laps in my shorts. So I'm going to say no because I'm cold enough as it is."

"Wait, I missed that?", Ace asked. "Where in the hell was I?"

"I don't know but I think you were the only girl on base who didn't see it," Michelle called back.

"That's what I get for staying in the hanger tweaking the Shepard." She started rubbing her head as a thought hit her, "I do not want to see the ice build up on my engines."


	26. Chapter 26

Special police DekaOps

25

"Are you sure this is a good idea?", said a blue skinned alien with pig like features. He mopped his brow with a dirty rag as he looked nervous. "I mean to let them know where I am. Let them know what this is?"

Agent Chatrox silently studied the jellyfish like creatures floating round in a fluid tank in front of him. Every so often one would sense him and try to attack him, only to be stopped by the special glass barrier between them. Not taking his eyes off the tank he replied, "This was the plan the bosses came up with. Don't you have any faith in these 'pets' you created?"

"I would put my creations up against any Deka unit in the known universe," he said feeling insulted. Then the nervousness crept back in, "But a black badge unit."

"They are just like any other Deka unit," the Agent said sharply. "They have a little extra training, a little extra freedom. That is all." Tightening his cloak around him Chatrox continued, "Besides you have your newest shipment and those new toys of yours." Finally facing his customer Chatrox let his curiosity get the better of him, "Why does a scientist need two laser whips?"

"My family were slave masters for generations," he answered. "Before my intellect was discovered my Father taught me several techniques that I modified for my own personal use." He stated to check the readout on another tank, this one containing some rock like pods. "But why this particular black badge unit? There's like four in the entire galaxy."

"Because this is the one stationed on a singular planet," Chatrox answered. "So your pets won't have to wait that long for them to arrive. The bosses also wants to hurt the black badges, remind them they are vulnerable. They tried to prove it with Waven and his group. They momentarily succeeded when they killed the unit lead by the tiger. And they almost did the same on this planet's unit, but they proved to be unpredictably resilient." Chatrox lips twisted into a disgusted snarl, "Even without their leader."

"But I'm not sure they're ready yet," he said. "In a controlled environment they work wonderfully."

"Than think of it as the ultimate field test," Chatrox cut him off. He walked up and talked into his ear, "Just think of it Tras. If your little pets can take out a black badge unit you will be able to name your own price from then on. Everyone in the galaxy will be knocking at your door."

The alien thought it over, Chatrox could almost see the credits in his eyes. Placing a hand on the tube he said, "Even if they don't perform as planned they can still do some damage. The data gathered from this incident would be most helpful."

"Excellent," Chatrox removed a data pad from under his cloak. "Set some of your pets in these locations. I have studied this particular unit for a long time. In fact I've know their leader for far longer. I am confident I know how he's going to react when he hears the news."

***

Pierce looked over the information in his hands for the hundredth time, he wasn't sure what to make of this at first. Then Michelle said it was legit but part of him was expecting it to be a prank from somebody in command. Still they had to follow through on this information, especially if it was on the New Mexico/ Mexico border. The team filed in line as soon as Michelle called them. He waited a few beats before saying anything. "Ladies and gentlemen, we have a unique situation on our hands. We have an Alienizer who wants to change sides." Like he expected they didn't believe it either.

"No way," Ace exclaimed.

"I know, but Command sent this one," The Major informed them. "They received the transmission this morning and immediately handed it to us."

"How often do these jumps happen?", Dan ended up asking.

"Not often," Michelle answered. "More times than not the Alienizers find out about it and the jumper is never heard from again. Even after they're in SPD custody they can find a way to get to them at times. As you can imagine that tends to give those who want to a case of cold feet."

"So who's feeling lucky this time?"

Michelle pulled up an image of a blue skinned alien, "His name is Tras, he's a geneticist who specializes in highly unauthorized experiments. According to his file he was a highly respected member of the scientific community. Then he started voicing the idea that he and his fellow scientists should be creating life in order to understand it better, the more intelligent the better."

"Five bucks that didn't go over well," Boomer quipped. D.E. nodded his head in agreement.

"That goes without saying," she continued. "He went underground soon after. This is the first time anybody heard from him since."

"So why now?", Dan asked looking suspicious.

The Major took over, "He says he's tired of living on the run. He's willing to exchange what he knows about the Alienizer organization for asylum. Command sees this as a high priority and wants him in custody as soon as possible."

Still looking skeptical Dan said, "So we escort him to a safe house to be named later."

"More like here," The Major corrected. "Since this base is unknown to the Alienizers they feel it is the safest bet for now."

"Lovely," Dan muttered. "Let's get him and get him back here," he addressed to the others.

They complied and went out the door. All except D.E. who noticed Rev was hanging back a bit as well. "Something wrong buddy?"

"I am not sure Terry," he said. "I am feeling uneasy about this assignment."

"I think we all are Rev."

"I know, but…," he seemed lost for words for a second. "I am experiencing a sensation of dread that I am finding unnerving."

"It's probably just who we're after," D.E. offered. "What I just heard about this guy is creeping me out too."

Rev thought it over but didn't look all that convinced, "I hope that's all it is."

***

The trip was uneventful and quiet. D.E. and Boomer was trying to get Rev out of whatever funk he was in with little success. While that was going on Dan was studying the area of the meet. "D.E., I know Command says this guy is important but I want to cover our butts just in case."

"Do you want me to take sniper position?", He asked. Dan said he did.

"Captain," Rev spoke up, "is it wise to split us up in this situation?"

"Probably not," he admitted, "but something telling me that we would be worse off to keep us in one spot. Boomer, go with D.E. as his spotter."

"You got it," Boomer complied.

"Rodger," D.E. said soon after.

They landed in a clearing near the meet point. Dan ordered them to activate the Dekasuits as soon as they landed, just in case the Alienizers choose then to take care of the "defector". They waited a few minutes after D.E. and Boomer headed out to give them time to get ready. Rev kept glancing in the direction they went, still unable to shake that feeling. A ten minute walk lead to another clearing and a compound of some sort, camouflaged to look like the surroundings. Another minute went by before Tras walked out followed by a couple of Batsuroids. Ace went for her D-Shooter Dan held up a hand to stop her. "My apologies," Tras said after he ordered the Batsuroids to stand down as well, "but I can't be too careful."

"I understand," Dan said. "I hope you don't mind if I have to do the same."

"It's not a problem I just want to get this over with."

"Something else we can agree on. If there's anything you need to grab you might want to get it now. I'm not sure how much time we're going to have before your former friends come looking for you."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem." The way Tras was smiling was making Dan nervous. "You see I'm already protected. Several of my creations are lying around in the open, just waiting for anybody to come near them. Like your companions for example." Looking back he nodded to the Batsuroids who raised their weapons and stepped foreword.

"I think it's going south," Boomer said. He was watching the situation through a pair of binoculars.

Above him on a mountain ridge D.E. already had them in his sight as he lay on his belly, "I see it." He lined up a shot but before he could pull the trigger a cracking sound got his attention. Looking to his right a rock near him was splitting in half. All he could get out was, "What…?", before a jellyfish looking thing jumped at him.

Dan and the other drew their weapons, "Why am I not surprise this was a trap," Ace said. Dan was wondering what was taking D.E. so long.

"As always the grunts know more that the masters," Tras said. "Much like how Agent Chatrox knew you." Before they could say anything he continued, "He knew you wouldn't totally trust the situation. So he had me set out my pets accordingly. I must say I am proud of this particular creation of mine."

"Call off the Batsuroid," Dan ordered but he was ignored.

"I based these off your jellyfish. They can secrete an acid that can melt through just about everything, including Dekametal. But their main objective is to latch ion the head of the nearest target. Then they take over sending the target into an uncontrollable rage. After that they either take total control of the target dies. They even developed a means to stop themselves from being removed before they are finished. Of course then it's too late. I must say though, it is a thing of beauty." Their License beeped and Tras smirked at them, "One of you might want to get that."

Keeping his D-Colt on Tras Dan warily answered, "This is Stevens, go."

A panic Boomer responded, "Cap we got a situation here!" Gunshots cut him off and somebody yelled in the background.

Ace went cold as she went, "D.E."

"Right now you have two options," Tras said. "You can either attempt to take out my bodyguards and apprehend me. Or you make a futile attempt to save your companion." Ace and Rev looked at each other while Dan never took his eyes off of Tras. Then he quickly turned around and ran for D.E. location with the others right behind him. Tras had a nervous smirk on his face, "Just like I thought. We need to get out of here now."

***

They ran as fast as they could, praying they weren't too late. Dan told them to double time it as they hit the mountain. Ace was trying not to think about the worst. About three quarters of the way up Rev saw something blue and slowed down just long enough to pick it up. It was D.E.'s helmet and it looked like a hole was melted into it by the right temple. "No," he whispered and he dropped the helmet and quickened his pace. They found Boomer first, he was in pain but he made them go ahead.

They found D.E. further up grunting in pain and clutching at his head. "D.E.", Dan called out. He stood up and looked at them. There was a jellyfish looking thing attached to his forehead but the rage in his eyes made them pause. Suddenly his D-Shooter was aimed at them and he fired. Dan was able to get out of the way but Ace took a shot in the chest. Rev ran in and jumped up, planting both his feet into D.E.'s chest as he knocked him down. Boomer recovered and knocked the Shooter out of his hand as he and Dan jumped on top of him to keep him down. He started fighting against them as Ace joined in. "Get that fucking thing off of him!"

"Captain," Rev said looking at him, "Tras…"

"I know what he said," he snapped. "It doesn't mean it was true."

"And it doesn't mean we can't try either," Ace said. He started kicking at her, "Damn it D.E. fight it!"

"Come on buddy," Boomer said, "You can do this."

Rev pulled out a scanner and tried to study the creature. D.E. started to thrash around harder. "Hold him still."

"What to you think we're trying to do?!" Boomer yelled at him. He was getting freaked out at the hate and rage in his best friends' eyes.

Dan and Rev both tried to keep his head still as the scanner did its' work. "It bonded itself to his skin," he said after awhile."I am seeing some sort of appendage in his head. It appears to have pierce his skull and into his brain. There appears to be several tendrils coming form the appendage," he said after scanning a bit deeper. "It seems they are bonding themselves to his nervous system and various synapses. "I can not tell for sure, this scanner is not strong enough and he refuses to stay still."

"Can you get it off of him?", Dan demanded.

"I am…," he looked at the readout again, "I am not sure. We must get him back to the Shepard before…"

While they were talking D.E. was able power them off and scramble away. He turned and pointed another D-Shooter at them. Boomer discovered it was his after they checked their weapons, he must have grabbed it while he was getting away. Ace quickly pointed her weapon at him but her aim waivered slightly, "Drop it D.E.."

He looked like he was struggling as the Shooter slowly lowered. His eyes went back to normal but looking pained he struggled as he said," Cap… I need to talk to you. Face to face." Dan hands never left the handle of the D-Colt. "Don't… don't you trust me."

Biting his lip for a moment Dan replied, "Yeah D.E., I trust you." Cautiously he removed his helmet and the others did the same. D.E. raised the gun again, Dan dropped his helmet and aimed the D-Colt at him. "That thing on your forehead is another thing entirely."

Smiling weakly as tears started to well up in his eyes D.E. said, "That's what I always liked about your Cap. You were always straight foreword with me. I never told you how much I appreciated that. How much I appreciated all of you."

"You can tell us that any time you want," Dan told him. "Just drop the Shooter."

"I'm trying," he said. "It's getting too much control over me."

"Fight it D.E.," Ace pleaded, "please fight it."

"Terry we will get you back to base," Rev spoke up. "We will think of something."

"Yeah," Boomer said quickly, "and if Rev can't figure it out I sure the SPD big brains…"

"I don't think there's a plan B for this one," D.E. said suddenly.

"There's always a plan B Terry," Dan told him, wanting to believe it himself.

"You don't understand," the tears started to fall, "I heard you and Rev. I know what you guys were talking about."

"He is an Alienizer jackass who was trying to scare us," Dan quickly told him. "We'll do everything we can to help you. Just put the gun down before that thing makes you fire."

The Shooter shook in hand but it wasn't dropping. "I can feel it inside me. It's growing right now, it feels like it's trying to take over my mind. Like it's trying to get into my memories. Finding out what I know and who I care about."

"That's just your imagination Terry," Boomer told him.

"I don't think so." D.E. was quiet for a few moments. Then his voice was barely above a whisper as he said, "I told Rev the reason why I fight is I'm afraid of what will happen to kids like my brother and his friends if we let a nasty one get away." The tears started to fall freely as he added, "I think I'm becoming one of the nasty ones."

"No your not!", Ace argued. "We'll… we'll think of something."

The D-Shooter in his hand stopped shaking. "D.E. drop the gun or I'll…,"Dan couldn't finish the sentence, or he'll what?

"I love you guys," D.E. told them. "I have to tell you guys that before…," he trailed off. "I loved every second of it. The Major, Michelle, every mission we went on. All of it." He closed his eyes and looked like he was struggling again. Boomer and Ace toward him but he looked at them. "If this doesn't work tell my… tell my family I love them." Slowly he started to raise the gun toward his head.

"Terry don't do it!", Dan ordered. All of them were too afraid to move. He put the barrel parallel to his head, pointed at the creature and closed his eyes.

"Terry!" Ace and Rev yelled.

"Terry don't…," Boomer cried out.

He pulled the trigger and shot through the creature. D.E. looked at them and smiled weakly. A rancid smelling liquid came from the creature as he rolled his eyes into the back of his head and he dropped to the ground. "Terry!" Ace cried out as they ran to him.

"Do not do this to us Terry," Dan told him as Rev ran a scanner over him. It beeped wildly as his life signs became erratic.

"The creature injected some sort of toxin into him before it died," Rev said. "It is paralyzing his systems, trying to stop them all together."

"Counter act it!", Ace ordered.

"I am trying to calibrate the correct anti-toxin now," his fingers danced over the scanner. Boomer clutched at his hair feeling totally helpless.

Dan grabbed D.E.s head. "Fight damn it! Do you hear me? That's an…," the scanner started to emit a long continuous beep, "…order," he finished weakly. All of them looked at Rev as he stared at the scanner. Slowly he reached out and put one hand on his face to close his eyes. He sat back and started praying. Boomer wrapped his arms around Ace as both of them started crying. Dan punched the ground in anger and tears started to drop by his fist. Slowly he looked at the compound in the distance.

***

"Hurry up you idiots," Tras ordered his Batsuroids and Anaroids. "We have to be packed and on that transport now. If any of those black badges survived they're going to bring SPD down on top of this place in force. And I don't want to be here when that happens." He quickly went over and checked out the readout of a chamber ready for transport. These were still fairly new and could be damaged easily. "Don't worry," he spoke to the creatures inside, "I'm going to take good care of you. I don't want you to get hurt before I can put you in your shells."

The roof above him exploded and Tras dove for cover out of instinct. He saw that the rubble crash on top of the tank. As the light poured in four ropes dropped through with the black badges following soon after. Before he could give an order they fired on his bodyguards as soon as they landed. Ace and Boomer were firing at anything that looked mechanical. Rev dropped anything that near him. Dan made a small hole into the chest of a Batsuroid with his D-Shot, then he saw a tank with more of the creatures in it. He didn't even think twice as he fired at the tank until it cracked and spilled its contents. He walked over and stepped on one of the creatures, grinding it under his heel. "Leave my creation alone!", Tras screamed.

He grabbed the handles of the laser whips on his belt and activated them. Tras whipped the twin beams at him. Dan dodged, making him hit his own equipment. The Alienizer cursed at him and started swinging wildly. Ace and the others tried to get out of the way and Dan couldn't get out a shot. Knowing he had to close that gap fast Dan ran in. Tras swung both beams horizontally toward each other. Switching the D-Shot to his left hand he drew the D-Colt and slid under the beams. He fired twice, a bullet for each shoulder that made Tras drop the whips. Then he fired two more times, this time at the knees and made the Alienizer drop. Dan quickly got to his feet and stared at him, looking so helpless at the moment. Putting the D-Shot on a table next to him he reached up and removed his helmet, red eyes glaring at Tras. Ace saw what was happening, "Cap what are…?"

"Equipment malfunction," he snapped. A cold hard stare fixated on Tras he walked up and placed the barrel of the D-Colt right between his eyes. Tras started weeping and begging for his life as Dan finger started to curl around the trigger.

"I too," Rev said making Dan look over his shoulder, he was removing his helmet, "appear to have an equipment malfunction."

"Ditto," Ace said as she did the same.

Boomer joined in, "Somebody is really going to have to check into that when he get back."

Dan turned his attention back to Tras. His lips curled in disgust as he started to squeeze the trigger. Tras closed his eyes but nothing happened. Dan put the D-Colt back in its holster and backed away grabbing the D-Shot along the way. "We do this legal." He raised his OpsLicense in front of him and pressed the button on top, "Target orders."

It felt like forever as X and circle flashed between them. Boomer was muttering, "Come on X, Come on X."

The circle flashed between them and Dan muttered in disbelief, "Apprehend target?"

"HAHAHAHA!", Tras cried out in relief. Dan stared at the License in his hand for a long time before slamming it shut. Motioning for Boomer and Rev to get him they put the D-Whoppers around his wrist and hauled him up. As they came toward him Dan got in Rev's way and forced him to stop as Boomer and Tras kept going. He smashed the butt of the D-Shot into the back of Tras's skull and he crumpled to the ground.

Ace looked shocked for a moment but then she smiled slightly, "He resisted arrest. I saw the whole thing." Dan said nothing as he headed for the door.

***

The Major and Michelle were together when they got the call. Dan called for the area to be quarantined until a specialized SPD clean up crew could take care of the remaining creatures. But both of them were confused and a little worried, Dan sounded off. Like he wanted to say something more but couldn't. Of course Pierce heard that tone in his voice before and prayed he was wrong about it now. They waited anxiously in the hanger as the Shepard landed. As the ramp lowered some technicians ran in like protocol demanded when they had a prisoner. They heard Ace angrily shout, "Get that son of a bitch off my jet!" Michelle looked at him feeling confused. A confusion that grew in both of them as the techs carried a bandaged up Tras on a stretcher past them.

Dan, Ace and Boomer followed looking angry and upset. Michelle found her voice and asked, "What happened to him?"

Not looking at her as he past Dan replied, "He fell."

Ace continued with an, "Into a door."

"A lot," Boomer finished as they kept heading for the hanger door.

"I can't over look this," The Major said. "A line was crossed…"

"Major," Michelle gasped and grabbed his shoulder. He looked at her and saw tears starting to form. Then he looked at the Shepard. Rev and another tech were carrying out a second stretcher, this one carrying a body bag.

Pierce closed his eyes as they started to water up and lowered his head. Tapping the bottom of his cane on the hanger floor he finally said. "It would have been nice if they let us know he was that clumsy from the start."

***

Dan paced the floor of his quarters. His mind was so mixed up right now he didn't know what to do. Looking at his reflection he knew there was one thing he had to do before anything else. Throwing his bomber jacket over his uniform he walked out of his room. The Major and Michelle looked surprised to see him as he entered the Command Room. "Dan where do you think you're going?", the Major asked.

"There's something I have to do," was his only answer as he headed for the elevator.

"Wait a second Dan," the Major tried to cut him off, "Command wants to talk to all of you about this." He continued for the elevator door. Pierce motion for a couple of people to get in his way. He was relieved when Dan didn't try to fight his way past them. "I don't know what's going through your head right now but it has to wait until this is over."

"He died on my watch." Dan looked at him and repeated, "There's something I have to do."

Nodding as he finally understood the Major ordered the techs away from the door. "I'm sure Command will understand if you're a little late for the debriefing."

Taking a jeep Dan headed for the city. He had only been to his destination once, but he was only passing by at the time. If only he was visiting again under better circumstances. Pulling up in front of a house he saw an older couple sitting on a swing on the porch. Steeling himself he got out and headed toward them as they stood up. Back in the army a couple of his buddies who had to do this said that sometimes the family just knew the moment they saw you. Watching them brace themselves Dan got the feeling they knew too. Stopping a few feet in front of him he tried to keep his voice steady as he said, "Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy, it's about Terry."


	27. Chapter 27

Special Police DekaOps

26

D.E.s' funeral took place a few days after it happened. The Major gave the usual speech about not appearing in uniform and keeping up appearances, but it was really half hearted. And nobody listened to him this time around. Michelle and the others were dressed in their police uniforms while Dan wore his dress greens. The Major ignored his own advice and appeared in his dress greens as well. Meng Yeow and Gyoc Row appeared at the service to extend their condolences to his family and to the unit. D.E.s' parents allowed Rev to perform a traditional prayer of mourning from his planet. At the Major's command four police officers and three SPD officers fired off a twenty-one gun salute in his honor. Then he was laid to rest.

A week later late at night Michelle was half awake in a hotel room. She reached out and felt a big empty space next to her. She looked around and found Dan sitting on the edge of the bed watching the television with the sound turned low. She got behind him and wrapped her arms around him as she rested her chin on his shoulder. He was watching a rerun of a news report she saw earlier in the day, one about those Earth First morons getting more aggressive. Seeing the remote next to him Michelle picked it up and turned the set off. "Come back to bed," she told him. "Your leave's up today."

"My forced leave," Dan corrected her. He didn't sound bitter about it, but he did seem a little distracted.

"They just want to make sure your head's still on straight," she reminded him. "After admitting to what you almost did you shouldn't have been surprised."

"I know," again he sounded distant.

"Dan you have to stop blaming yourself, it wasn't your fault."

"It happened under my watch," he said getting up. "I gave the order to split up, so it's my fault. If I listened to Rev it wouldn't have happened."

"And you didn't know it was a trap. I personally went over the Shepard's scan reading with a fine tooth comb. There was nothing to indicate those things were there. It's probably why they wanted him alive." He didn't say anything but his hands got a little tighter. Michelle reached for him and pulled him toward the bed. "Look I'm loving the fact we were able to get some time away from base and all. But it seems so empty now so I need you there. Besides our new Ops2 is coming in today too." Michelle had no idea why she worded it like that. She guessed she didn't want to say D.E. replacement.

"Yeah that's not going to be awkward," he commented and laid back down. "Any idea who the new person is?"

"Not really, only that she's the one D.E. edged out of the position."

"So we're getting the silver medalist?"

"Not in the way the Major put it," she explained. "According to him the decision went down to the wire and it was still a toss up. I got the feeling either one would have been would have been a good pick."

"I guess we'll see when she arrives."

***

Michelle was already getting dressed to leave when he woke up, saying there were some reports she had to get a jump on and that she'd see him back at OpsBase. A couple of hours later he was checked out and on his way back himself. When he got to the entrance to the cover building above ground he just stood there and stared at it, remembering the first time he arrived and met him. "Might as well get this over with." Slinging his duffle over his shoulder he entered the building and headed for the hidden elevator that would take him underground. The doors opened and he found his command voice real quick when he saw Boomer and Rev just hanging around the Command Room, "Turned into a bunch of goldbricks while I was gone I see."

"Cap," Boomer said excitedly. "I was starting to think they got rid of you."

"Captain," Rev walked over and offered a hand, "it is good to see you again."

"I wasn't gone that long," he said as he took Rev's hand.

"We're just glad you're back, "Boomer said. "It's been a little weird around here since you've been gone."

"I would think so with everything that happened…"

"No I mean with Ace," Boomer informed him.

"She has been acting rather strangely," Rev agreed.

Dan shot a confused look over to Michelle who simply said, "I didn't want to bother you with it while you were out."

"So you thought you'd spring it on me as soon as I got back?"

Before anybody could answer Ace came in and headed straight for Boomer. "Where's that inventory report the Major asked you for?", she demanded.

"It's on your desk in the hanger," he said.

"And why in the hell did you put it in there?!", she snapped. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to keep anything on that desk? We test the engines daily…" Dan coughed and she noticed he was there for the first time. "Cap… how do you deal with this dumbass?"

"Well I don't call him that to his face for one, but that's just me." Boomer started to say something but Dan added, "Kid do yourself a favor and keep your mouth shut."

The elevator doors open again to reveal the Major. "Dan I'm glad you're here. Now I can introduce you to our newest member all at once." He stepped aside to let the African-American woman behind him in. They gave her a moment to take everything in before anybody said anything. "Ladies and gentlemen allow me to introduce our new weapon expert Sgt. Angela Thompson." He then proceeded to introduce the other members of the team.

Angela walked up to Dan and saluted, "Captain Stevens." Dan returned it, "Major Pierce told me a lot about you. I promise not to disappoint you as your second in command."

Ace looked stunned while everybody else looked confused. Dan looked over to the Major who apparently just realized he left something out. "I," Dan started slowly, "already have a second in command."

Now it was her time to be confused, "Not to sound cruel Captain, but from my understanding you don't."

Dan looked at her at a few moments then looked at the group, "You leaving us Ace?"

"It the first I'm hearing of it," she said stiffly.

"Looks like I don't need a new second in command."

Angela stared at both of them, "No offence Captain but is it wise to have the least experience member of the unit in that type of position?"

"No offence Sergeant," Dan told her, the uncharacteristic sharp edge in voice catching everybody by surprise, "but Ace has been with this unit since the beginning and has proven her worth time and time again. You on the other hand are an unknown commodity and have no place saying what is good for this unit. If there's nothing else Major I'll be in my quarters."

After he left the other followed suit, Ace mumbling something under her breath while Boomer and Rev at lest said goodbye first. Michelle looked at her and smiled weakly, "Welcome aboard? Don't mind them, they just had a bad past couple of weeks."

***

"I wanted to apologize for Dan and the others," The Major after they entered his office. "They're usually not like that. Actually that's the first time I've seen Dan that close to dressing someone down."

"I understand Major," Angela said. "I also realize I stuck my foot in my mouth back there. I should have realized there was a command structure in place before I arrived."

"And I should have told you Ace has been second in command almost since the beginning." Angela looked surprised again but said nothing. "We're not what you would call a traditional unit."

"I've noticed. May I ask what Captain Steven is usually like?"

"He's stern but fair," he replied. "And once he opens up to you it'll be like you've known him for years. Out in the field Dan will, and has actually, take a bullet for those under him. That's his biggest strength and one of the main reasons I fought to get him in this unit, he'll do just about anything to make sure everybody comes home alive."

"And his biggest weakness?", Angela asked.

"There are time I think his biggest strength is his biggest weakness," he smiled sadly. "Every time he loses a person he takes it hard. It's why he created that rule of his to begin with. But he always snaps back to normal."

"And Sgt Fieldman?"

"Ace definitely hasn't been herself either the past couple of weeks," the Major mused. "I haven't seen an equipment request form from her since it happened. Usually she would be the first one volunteering to show you around. The others have been trying to get her to talk but she keeps shutting them down. I know I don't know how to tackle the situation at the moment. I was never any good at handling the personal stuff when it came to my men." The Major looked disappointed with himself then quickly shook it away. "I should point out we're not really all that formal. Granted everybody calls me Major and Rev the only one who calls Dan Captain. Everyone usually goes by a nickname most of the time."

"I'll try to keep that in mind," Angela said. "What about the rest of them?"

"They're pretty much back to normal as far as I can tell. Outside of today that is."

"I realize I have some pretty good shoes to fill as the outsider…"

"Now wait one moment Sergeant," the major leaned forward in his chair. "I don't want anybody thinking you're the second best option, not even you. If your record indicated anything like that I never would have considered you for the position to begin with." He leaned back again, "But he did leave a pretty big hole around here. Dan might have been the first person I recruited but Terry was the first official member to sign up for the team. I'm not saying it not going to be a big adjustment for everyone, but give it some time. I'm sure everyone will open up to you."

"I'm sure you're right. If that will be all Major I better get into uniform." She got up and headed for the door. Angela paused and turned back around, "If I may ask…"

"Why did I pick Terry over you?", he chuckled as she nodded. "Believe me it was a hard choice. When it came down to scores you were higher in some area and he was higher in others, so that was pretty much a tie."

"So what put him over the top?"

"It was weapon knowledge," Pierce stated. "Both of you had excellent knowledge of SPD weaponry. But while you had a passing familiarity with Alienizer weapon, he knew things that made me recheck his background information to make sure he was who he said he was," he finished with a laugh. "Nothing personal Angela but anybody who goes that far deserved that spot in my eyes."

She smiled a bit, "looks like I better get studying, he set the bar pretty high from the sound of things."

***

Dan and Michelle looked all over the place for her. Finally they found Ace in the rec room staring at the blank television screen. She didn't even notice they came in. When they said she was acting strange they weren't kidding. And he had no idea what they wanted him to do about it. "Ace," Michelle said.

Ace was startled, "I'll get out of your way," she said quickly.

"Ace we wanted to talk to you," Michelle told her.

"There's nothing to talk about," she headed for the door.

Dan got in her way, "I think there is." When she wouldn't look at him he continued, "Come on Trish, everybody can see something bothering you. I saw you snap at Boomer. Granted it's Boomer but still."

"There's nothing wrong," she insisted, still not looking at him.

"Ace you're shutting me out," Michelle said. "And we tell each other everything. You're not acting like yourself."

"I don't know how to act all right," she snapped. "Are you happy now?" Dan sat on the arm of the couch as they let her talk without interruption. "I never lost anybody before. Both of my grandparents are still alive. My parents are hearty and healthy. My cat is fourteen years old and still as active as when she was a kitten. I been watching everybody else get over it, but I don't know what I should be doing."

"You can always let it go," Michelle offered. Ace crossed her arms and turned away from them. "It's alright to let it go. Nobody going to think anything about it. Boomer said he hasn't seen you cry since the day D.E. died. I didn't even see you shed a tear at the funeral."

Her voice was small as she spoke, "Soldiers don't cry."

"You're a cop Ace, not a soldier," Dan told her. "And believe me soldiers cry." When she didn't react he said, "Ace where was I after that whole mess with Jase went down."

"I don't know," she told him. "You disappeared for a couple hours afterwards."

"What do you think I was doing?"

Ace said nothing. Michelle wrapped her arms around her the moment her shoulders started shaking. The tears started flowing right after that, "Why did he have to die?"

"I don't know honey," Michelle tried to comfort her. "But he's in a better place now, you have to remember that."

Dan got up feeling uncomfortable. He patted Ace on the shoulder and told her it was going to be ok. He went out the door muttering, "And they wanted the fucking bastard alive too, just like with Jase." Michelle watched him leave. Obviously he was still dealing with a different issue altogether.

***

Boomer was talking to Ace in the cafeteria later. She was trying to apologize up and down for going off on him but he wasn't having any of it. "I understand alright, you were still grieving and keeping it bottled up inside. It had to go somewhere. It didn't have to be me all the time but I didn't understand." When she didn't react he said, "Hey that was a joke, your starting to make me feel bad."

"I know but…," she paused to collect herself, "I still can't believe he's gone."

"I hear you," Boomer said. "I still find myself expecting him to come through those doors and say 'Hey buddy, you ready to get your tail kicked in another game'." It was hard for to come in the next day, I didn't want to even come. But Lisa told me to get it over with or it would just get worse. I can't even imagine what it was like for you guys."

"I've never thought this place could feel this empty. I'm seeing him everywhere. I tried to help Rev collect his things from his room but I couldn't stay in there."

"It was hard for me too," Boomer admitted. "My best friend and I couldn't do a thing to help Rev out." He looked up and saw Angela in her uniform carrying a tray from the line. "Speaking of situations being hard on people."

Ace looked wincing, "God I was horrible to her."

"You weren't horrible," Boomer assured her. "Besides we all gave her the cold shoulder when she arrived. But maybe we can try again. Angela over here," he waved her over. She looked a bit unsure at first but she came and sat next to them. To Ace he said, "That was faster than it took with Cap."

"Sgt. Fieldman, "Angela started, "I didn't mean to step on any toes earlier. If I …"

"It's all right, no harm no foul," she told her. "I was giving off a bit of an attitude too. And call me Ace, everybody does."

"Boomer," he chimed in with a grin.

Angela smiled in return, "Ace, Boomer, that's going to take some getting used to."

"We're a weird unit," Boomer told him.

"So I've heard."

Ace looked at the data pad on her tray, it showed a schematic of the rifle that brought the team together. "I should probably tell you now we have a unofficial rule around here, no work in the rec room."

"I'll try to remember that," she said. "Although you might find my face in a pad for awhile." She tried to find away to say this without bringing up any bad feelings, "From what I understand the bar's set pretty high. I want to make sure I meet it."

"If you're here you will," Ace assured her. She looked at the schematic again and started smiling, "Hey Boomer, do you remember when D.E. took the power core of that thing apart?"

He started smiling too, "I remember the Major say those are prone to explode if disturbed afterwards. I think D.E. turned the whitest out of all of us."

Angela just looked at them, "Wait he took the power core of this thing apart? Was he nuts?"

"Well he called us nuts too so it even outs," Ace said. "In this unit you kinda have to be."

"You don't really have to be, but it helps," Boomer joked.

"Angela let me know when you're settled in," Ace told her, "I'll give you the nickel tour later if you want."

Angela smiled again, "That'd be great."

***

It was late afternoon and Dan had to get up top. He didn't really need the air he just had to get out of there. Going to one of the side benches he sat there for awhile, then he got back up. Turning toward the wall he got in a familiar stance and started boxing his shadow. Not being sure how long he was doing this he was surprised when Rev appeared out of nowhere. "There is something bothering you," it was more of a statement than a question.

Everybody knew about the shadow boxing thing but he played it off anyway, "What makes you say that?"

"Captain," Rev said as he sat on the bench, "I realize we are not that close. But I do like to think that bond that was created between us when that deal that placed us in this unit was made would allow you to talk to me."

Dan stopped just long enough to look at him, "Michelle sent you didn't she?" Rev said nothing. "She thinks because I let something slip I'm ready to talk about something." His punching got more aggressive as Rev watched in silence. Suddenly he stopped and dropped his arms, "And she's right. Twice now somebody I cared about died and twice the higher ups wanted the bastard responsible alive. Alienizers who blow up cities and kill millions, hell ones who trade weapons or just steal things, we can delete all we want in the name of justice. But as soon as one of their own wants some of that justice it's we want to talk to them."

"Captain," Rev said, "do you really think looking for and getting revenge would have made you feel better?"

"Hell yeah it would have made me feel better!", he snapped. "Especially with Tras. I had him right there," he turned his hand into a gun and pointed right between the eyes of an imaginary target. "All I had to do was pull the trigger and that would have been all, eye for an eye. A life for a life."

"Terry wouldn't have wanted you to get revenge for him."

"It wasn't about what D.E. wanted!", Dan exploded. "Right then and there it was about what I wanted! And I wanted to see Tras sent straight to Hell! And I wanted it done by my hands."

"So why didn't you?" Rev asked calmly.

Dan lost whatever steam he built up and walked away a couple of feet. Eventually he admitted, "Because you idiots were going to let me."

"I don't understand Captain."

"I wasn't lost in a rage Rev. I knew exactly what I was doing. And I knew exactly what the consequences were going to be if I killed Tras in cold blood without judging him first. And I knew what was going to happen to all of you." Being quiet for a moment he continued, "Rev I was fully prepared to throw my career, everything I've worked for, with a pull of a trigger I was going to throw it all away. I had no intention on bringing the rest of you down with me."

"I think I can speak for the others when I say I am glad you decided not to pull the trigger."

Dan wanted to smile but he couldn't, "Thanks Rev. Don't think ill of me when I tell you I still wish I did."

"I would be looking at you differently if you weren't affected by all of this. All of us were after all."

"Yeah I know," Dan said looking at him. That's when it came to him and he really couldn't think of a reason not to do it. "Rev, find Michelle, Ace and Boomer and meet me back her in twenty minutes."

"As you wish Captain, but may I ask why."

"It's for something I should have done the day it happened."

***

Dan had a cooler by his feet when they arrived. As all of them looked at him he wasn't sure where to begin. Michelle had an idea what he was going to do but stayed quiet to let him do it. "After the Eagles got together we started what became a tradition every time we lost a friend or comrade in the line of duty. I've tried to keep that tradition alive in every unit I was in command of. I know the timing's off but I hope D.E. can forgive me for waiting this long." Kneeling down he opened the cooler. Looking at Ace he said, "I think we can over look the age limit just this one time," and tossed her a can of beer. Handing the others one he took one for himself and stood up. Following his lead they opened them and clink them together. "Drink half of it," he told them and they did just that. Dan held out his out and the other did the same. They turned them over and let the rest spill on the ground.

"I'll see you again buddy," Boomer said.

Ace started to choke up, "Goodbye Terry."

"We miss you," Michelle spoke up.

"Good journey my friend," Rev said.

All Dan could say was, "Goodbye D.E." None of them said anything after that.

Major Pierce and Angela slowly approached them. "I know this is a field team thing," Pierce said, "but I hope you guys don't mind if we crash this particular party."

"The more the merrier," Michelle said.

"Sgt. Thompson," Dan walked over to her, "I wanted to apologize for getting us off on the wrong foot."

"Do you people apologize for everything around here," she half joked.

"Every third Tuesday of the month," he said quickly. "At least let me officially welcome you to the team," Dan held out a hand.

She gladly took it, "It's good to be aboard."

"We got to give her a nickname," Ace chimed in.

"We could always call her Target," Boomer offered, "or maybe Bulls-Eye."

"Isn't that a little obvious for a sharpshooter?", Ace asked him.

"About as obvious as calling our explosive expert 'Boomer'," Dan commented.

"I though he received that name after eating a bean burrito," Rev said looking quite pleased with himself. A look that quickly faltered when he noticed they everybody was staring at him. "Was that not humorous?"

"Yeah," Dan told him, "but you said it."

Boomer looked confused, "Did Rev just crack one on me?"

"It's not his fault you're an easy target," Ace told him.

"Hey," Boomer protested.

The Major got in Angela's ear and said, "Now this is the team I was telling you about. I knew they'd show up sooner or later."

"I'm just happy it was sooner rather than later," Michelle told her. "Then they'll really welcome you into the group."

Dan knelt down and handed out another round of beers, except for Ace who was protesting when she got a can of pop. "I said we over look it one time and that was it."

"Well that bites," she said.

"I'm going to blame that o the first beer I gave you," Dan told her.

Angela took it all in and commented to herself, "I get the feeling this place doesn't stay boring for long."

Michelle gave her a knowing smile, "You have no idea."


	28. Chapter 28

Special Police Dekaops

27

Angela said nothing as she pumped her legs as she ran, telling herself this was part of the job she signed up for. She personally hated to work out but she knew in order to be a cop she had to stay in top shape. And especially if she wanted to be part of SPD, so she worked her ass off when it came to training. Like now Cap had them running sprint drills, the one where you had to run to a marker, pick it up and run back to start then run out to a further marker and do it over again. Cap went first to, as the other put it, set the bar. Being the rookie she went last. When she dropped the last marker at the starting point she put her hands on her knees and breathed in as hard as she could. She didn't feel too bad though, Cap was a huffing a bit when he finished too. "Why are we doing this last?", she asked.

"Because anybody can get a good time when they're fresh," he answered. "I'm more concerned about your reaction time when you're tired." He went over to Michelle who was keeping track on the times. According to the others she just started training with them regularly too. Apparently she wanted to do a little more field work. Comparing the times, not counting Cap, she was second behind Rev. Cap looked pleased with the results then said, "Not bad guys, but we can do better."

Boomer, who was sitting on the floor, groaned and fell to his back, "Would it kill you to say 'Great job guys, I can't imagine you doing any better' just once?"

"Me no, you yes," he said in a matter of fact tone. "Alright people hit the showers. We're doing this again tomorrow no matter what." Boomer groaned again but he got up and headed for the showers with the others.

While they were heading for the women locker room she got Ace's attention. "What's up Target?" she decided to not fight the fact they stuck her with that nickname. Besides it could have been worse.

"I was wondering if you could clear up something I overheard," she said. "I heard a couple of people wondering on when Cap going to take me to the ring?"

"Oh that," she chuckled a bit. "It's nothing, Cap just going to spar with you to see how your hand to hand skills are. He did it with everybody on the field team."

"Is there a reason why he does that?"

"Look Target," she stopped to explain, "you're going to find out That Cap has a few different philosophies. One of them is anybody can fire a gun but not everyone can hold their own in a fight."

"He wants to see if there's any room for improvement," she said thinking it out.

"Exactly," Ace said. "It's nothing personal, Cap just wants to make sure everybody at their best."

"That didn't stop Boomer from complaining," she commented.

"Boomer bitches at every training session. Haven't you noticed that by now?"

***

Sticking to the shadows Chatrox walked the alley until he found the hidden door. The entry code was a series of knocks, two-four-two. The wall slid away only to slid back after he entered. The hallway itself was barely lit. One because the occupant was highly sensitive to light and two, to make sure you didn't see the weapons on the walls until it was too late. A simple but effective set up. Besides back when he was working both sides he operated in plenty of dark areas so this was no problem.

Walking into the main room he looked at a green skinned humanoid with no hair and wide black eye sit behind a table. As usual they sized each other up. He hated dealing with this particular alien, he was so… human. "Do you got the stuff?", he asked.

Chatrox nodded, the alien slid a data card across the table. The Agent took it and ran it through a reader. After verifying the amount on the card he said. "You'll find it in the usual location."

"You know this would be easier if you would just bring the stuff with you," the alien commented.

"And your order consist of several large drums," Chatrox reminded him. "Bringing that all here would not be in the best interest of keeping your location a secret."

"Don't get smart with me Agent, if you want to get out of here alive that is," he threatened.

Chatrox lips twisted into a scaly smirk. He could think of several SPD approved ways from his training to get out of this situation if the alien tried anything. But they weren't as much fun as they other, non SPD approved ways, that popped into his head as well. Still smirking he said, "Of course not, a client's happiness is always a top priority." With nothing else left to say he left. A top priority right behind making a profit that is.

He was getting tired of dealing with this alien. Thinking things over Chatrox realized he hadn't heard from Stevens and his accursed Deka unit in a while now. Perhaps some well placed leaked information would bring them out of hiding. Then again, as annoying as he is he was still a well paying client and it would be a shame to lose getting that much credit on a regular basis.

***

The Major was late getting to the Command Room. The other were already assembled and waiting. "Sorry to keep you waiting but I was still getting the information while Michelle was calling you," he informed them. "Command has been getting reports of a new drug hitting the streets called Red Diamond. "

"I only glanced at the reports so far," Michelle said, "but from what I've seen it pretty potent. One hit of the stuff will put you in a near coma like state fro a couple of hours. But it's so addictive you're almost immediately craving another hit of the stuff."

"Command has been able to get a hold of few samples. So far they have confirmed the compound is alien based with some Earth components thrown in. So that puts it squarely in our ballpark. And from the few dealers they had been able to arrest pointed in our direction as the source. Because it's in our backyard we're getting first crack. Because we're still compiling information I want you to wait an hour or so before going out in the field. Rev I want you to use that time to study what we have on the compound. Maybe you can help figure out what's going into it that you can counteract."

"I will do my best major," Rev replied.

"See if you can devise a way to track this crap while you're at it," Dan added.

"I do believe the correct phrase is I'll add it to the list."

Dan shot a look toward Ace and Boomer, "I'm blaming the two of you for teaching him that."

"Why am I getting blamed for it?", Ace protested.

"You're in my line of site." Before she could respond he said, "We're doing this is civvies people. Since we got time recheck your SP-Shooters to make sure they're in working order. Ace work with Michelle and plot out some potential hot spots."

"Rodger," everyone complied and quickly set off to their assignments.

Dan glanced over to Michelle, "So much for a relaxing evening at home."

She smiled slightly, "The night still young."

***

The night air was slightly cool as they headed out. Target tightened her blue letterman's jacket around her. Dan even buttoned up his bomber jacket up a bit. Ace and Boomer looked unaffected by the weather as she drove. Rev was still studying the datapad in his hands silently. Boomer looked in her direction, "Looks like you're getting off easy on your first assignment."

"If you say so," she said. Target was trying to hide the fact she was nervous as hell at the moment. Boomer smiled like he knew any way but said nothing.

"We're in the middle of the closest hot spot," Ace announced as she parked the jeep. They piled out and Target found herself looking around. She took some small comfort as she noticed the others doing the same.

"We'll cover more ground if we split up," Dan announced. "Rev, Target you're with me. Ace, Boomer check out the west side of the area, we got the east. And Ace, don't kill him."

"I'm not making any promises," she said before they headed off.

While they checked the other direction Dan and Rev made some small talk to pass the time. Target just watched at how relaxed they were with each other. She had been with the unit for a week and she still felt like the outsider. Nobody was treating her like one but the feeling still remained. She was so lost in thought she almost missed that Cap was talking to her. "I'm sorry Cap, what did you say?"

"I was wondering why you were keeping so quiet," he repeated. "You're usually pretty talkative back at base."

"I was just wondering if you wanted to see how the newbie does in the field," she told him

"Not at all," Dan informed her. "And never call yourself a newbie Target. Trust me I understand the feeling though. Me and Rev were the last two to officially join the unit. The others were already pretty well gelling as a unit before we got here. It took us awhile to fit in too."

"Although," Rev commented, "You were trying to keep you distance me and the others personally for as long as possible."

"I told you that was for professional reasons," Dan said quickly.

"So why did you want me with you?", Target asked getting the conversation back on track.

"Because Boomer has a tendency to jabber on these smaller assignments and I didn't want him to talk your ear off your first time out."

"Hey," somebody said coming toward them. He was dressed normally but he had a stoned out look in his eyes. "You three wanna try some Diamonds?"

Dan looked at the others then walked foreword as they kept watched. It would be really hard to explain if they were caught by the local police. "How much?"

"For you guys, three diamonds for a hundred bucks."

"That's a little steep," Dan protested. Actually according to Command one Diamond had a street value of a hundred dollars. So this was a steal. Or the guy was a complete moron. Taking another look at him Dan was siding toward the latter.

"Ok seventy five, but that's my final offer. You're robbing me blind here."

"Alright, alright," Dan told him. He paid the man and got three bags each with a small red colored diamond. "Thanks man. Oh and by the way…," he trailed off as he flashed his Springfield PD cover badge.

"Oh shit," the dealer cried out before running like a bat out of hell. They gave chase and quickly caught up with him. Dan tackled him to the ground, the forced him up and against the wall. "Let go of me you filthy pig!"

"How about you tell me where you're getting he red stuff first and I'll forget you just insulted me." When he said nothing Dan glanced over to the others. "Rev, help me search him for more Red Diamonds. Maybe we'll find where he's been."

"As you wish Captain," he replied.

"Keep that filthy skag away from me!", the pusher shouted. Target knew the word and wasn't all that surprised this particular low life used it. The look on Dan's face and how he reacted, however, did catch her off guard.

He pulled the punk off the wall then slammed him back harder and snapped, "Strike two jackass. Try for three I'm begging you."

The pusher started to squirm under Dan gaze, "Alright, alright I get the stuff from a ska…," Dan tightened his grip around his collar and he quickly changed his words. "My supplier is in this shithole of an alley around Fifth and Broadway. That's all I know I swear to God."

"Alright," Dan said. In moments he had him handcuffed around a lamppost and started walking away. As he loudly protested his treatment Dan casually said, "Rev leave an anonymous tip about that loser if you'll please."

"At once Captain," he said.

"That was a little rough for police work," Target commented.

"I like to think we have a little extra leeway compared to the other units," he said. Pulling out his OpsLicense he said, "Ace, Boomer we got a possible location. Meet us back at the jeep."

"We're on our way. Ops5 out."

"I'm guessing the easy part of the night is over," Target said.

"Pretty much," Dan answered. "But the fun part is about to start."

"Remind me to discuss your and the others definition of fun one of these days," Rev said.

***

It took a few moments to find the alley the dealer was talking about. Shithole was a pretty good description for it. Unfortunately there was no way to get to this supplier he was talking about that they could see. After a few moments of searching Boomer suggested, "Maybe this is a meeting place."

"It's possible," Target said, "he only said he got it in this alley. We just assumed it be here."

"No it's here," Dan said. "Look at the ground."

She did and after a few moments saw what he was seeing, "There's a path in the trash."

"For an out of the way place this alley gets a lot of traffic."

"Depending on the scheduling of the pick ups this could still fit the meeting point theory," Target argued.

"Only if the supplier likes to stand in a certain spot every time, "Dan commented, trained eyes following the pathway. Standing in front of the brick wall he studied it. Gingerly he felt it with his fingertips. There was something there. He knocked on the wall in a couple of places.

"Captain," Rev said, "could you knock on those last couple of places again." Dan complied as Rev tilted his head slightly and listened. He repeated it a couple of times. "The second knock sound more hollow than the first," he announced.

Target pulled out her License and did a scan of the wall. There was a passageway of some kind behind it. She looked at Ace who simply said, "He's has really good hearing."

"Boomer," Dan spoke up, "I'm guessing you don't have any explosives on you but do you remember that little trick you pulled in Hawaii?"

"Yeah," he answered, "But this one is going to be trickier, if I can do it at all. Last time I had access to the insides and my comm. gear. Besides we don't know if that door is automatic or not."

"Do what you can," Dan told him. "I don't want to draw any undo attention to ourselves unless we have too."

"Right," he said. Standing on one side of the wall he pulled out his License and went to work. Dan pulled out his SP-Shooter out of his pocket and motioned for the others to cover the door. After a few minutes the started to open up and Boomer quickly said, "That wasn't me."

An Anaroid charged out in the next instant but it quickly went down as four shot hit it. "Change Standby!", Dan ordered, OpsLicense switched to Change. "Emergency! DekaOps!"

Dan was surrounded by a red digital field as the Dekametal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark red stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the red and black formed the outline for a number one. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over his head and formed a dark red helmet. "Ops1!"

Target was surrounded by a blue digital field as the Dekametal formed around her body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark blue stripe went down the middle of her body from her shoulders to the top of her boots, on the left side of her chest the blue and black formed the outline for a number two. A backpack solidified on her back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over her head and formed a dark blue helmet. "Ops2!"

Rev was surrounded by a green digital field as the Dekametal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark green stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the green and black formed the outline for a number three. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over his head and formed a dark green helmet. "Ops3!"

Boomer was surrounded by a yellow digital field as the Dekametal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark yellow stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the yellow and black formed the outline for a number four. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over his head and formed a dark yellow helmet. "Ops4!"

Ace was surrounded by a pink digital field as the Dekametal formed around her body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark pink stripe went down the middle of her body from her shoulders to the top of her boots, on the left side of her chest the blue and black formed the outline for a number five. A backpack solidified on her back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over her head and formed a dark pink helmet. "Ops5!"

"Special Police," Dan said. The lights on the side of their helmets started to flash. As one they announced, "DekaOps!"

More Anaroids and some Batsuroids rushed out of the new door and into the alley. Dan took a quick look at what was coming out and at the space they had to work with. He glanced at the others and saw they were doing the same and felt a little pride for his unit. Drawing his D-Colt he only had one order, "Make some space."

They followed that order without another word. Dan turned to his left and fired at some bots that were trying to flank them. Rev was doing the same with a Batsuroid that was trying to do the same on their right. Ace and Boomer had their D-Shots in their hands and was cutting down any other bots that was coming through the door. Target fired off at those coming at her. She dodged a blast and fired at the same time. An Anaroid charged her, she spun out of the way and ducked as another volley flew over her head. Three more shots held fell the bots that fired them. She noticed Cap looking at her with his arms crossed. "Too flashy?", she joked.

Holding his finger and thumb about an inch apart he said, "But impressive." Raising his D-Colt he fired a shot that hit the Batsuroid that was trying to come up behind her.

Looking at the fallen bot she said, "Always stay aware of your surroundings."

"Learn it faster than Boomer and you'll do fine," he told her. No more bots were coming out of the door and the ones that did were sparking on the ground.

"Why am I always your example for what not to do?", Boomer complained.

"Do you really want him to answer that?", Ace asked him. "So do you think the hallway is booby trapped?"

"Only one way to find out," Target said. She picked up an old bottle and tossed it into the doorway. The moment it hit the hall four red beams obliterated the bottle. Target tried to figure it out. "Obviously a computer tracking system. Something that tracks motion or maybe air currents. There could be an outside chance it could detect heat signature, reading the residual heat left by my hand. Or maybe…," she trailed off when she noticed Cap was staring at her again. "Too much?"

Again he held out his finger and thumb, "Right now I'm more concerned about getting past it."

"It would be easier to tell you if I knew what we were dealing with."

"Maybe it's time to use that new toy Michelle gave me," Dan said. Reaching into his pack he pulled out a modified pad with a tube like device on the side. Flipping it up he leaned against the wall and turned on the pad. Touching the screen in a few places the tube started to extend and turn around the corner. A camera on the end of the tube showed what it was seeing on the screen. "Pretty dark in there," he commented. Touching another part of the screen he activated the night vision. They saw a head peek around the corner at the end of the hallway and quickly disappear.

"Captain may I see that individual again?", Rev asked. Dan rewound the feed and froze on the image and the person in question. Huge eyes stared in their direction. "A Sullarian," he commented. "That explains the darkness as the Sullarians are highly sensitive to light."

"Light," Target said suddenly. "The Sullarians developed their own automated weapon system. The main weakness is very intense light."

That was all Dan needed to hear, "Boomer…"

"Way ahead of you," he said throwing a flash grenade into the hallway. It exploded in a bright flash of light that fried the guns sensors. The Sullarian got enough of the flash from where he was and held his eyes as he screamed in pain. Target and Ace both jumped in with their D-Shooters out. They quickly spotted the guns and fired.

Target took out three of the four wall guns. Looking at Ace she said, "Now that's how you do it."

"Don't get cocky," Dan told her as the rest of them entered the hallway. They found the Sullarian on the floor rubbing his eyes.

"Please don't get up," Boomer told him.

"Rev," Ace spoke and he proceeded to punch Boomer in the arm.

"She got you doing that now?", he whined while rubbing his arm.

"You're not going to get me," the Sullarian told them as he got to his feet.

"Dude you been caught," Ace informed him.

"You'll never be able to get rid of all of my Red Diamonds," he said.

"Rev?", Dan asked.

"From the material I have studied I can safely dispose of the Diamonds here." He looked around the room, "And since the Diamonds are created with those pieces of equipment over there we can dispose of it as we wish."

"This only one lab," the Sullarian said suddenly. "You won't find the others without me."

"One step at a time," Dan told him. "Besides, it's not our call to make. Target if you will."

"OF course." She pulled out her OpsLicense, switched it to Judge and held it before her, "Target orders." The area went dark as a red X and a blue circle flashed between them. After the Sullarian was scanned the red X shined brightly, "Eliminate target." Ace stepped up as they locked their License into their D-Shots and primed the shot as they took aim, "Strikeout!" Two blue stream later and the Sullarian was deleted.

After it was over Dan spoke up, "Rev do what you got to do. Target good job on your first time out."

"Teacher's pet," Boomer joked. Target smiled to herself behind the helmet. For the first time she actually felt like she belonged.

***

The next day, just like the others said, Dan was testing her hand to hand skills. She didn't think they would actually be boxing but she was proud of herself for holding her own so far. "So what do you think of the rookies skills?"

"Not bad," he admitted. Then he hooked his leg around hers and tripped her. Before she knew it the palm of his hand was an inch from her nose. He took the hand away saying, "Ace told me she already told you about my first rule. Here's rule number two. The fight is not over until somebody either tied up, knocked out or dead."

"That wasn't in any police manual I've ever read," she told him. "I know, I know we're not a traditional unit."

Dan sat down on the mat next to her as she sat up. "Look I'm Army through and through, but I have not once said police procedure didn't have a place in what we do. But the way I see it we have to be prepared to get our hands dirtier than anybody else if it comes down to it."

She nodded in understanding, "How about you, did you have trouble adjusting to this?"

"It took me a while to wrap my head around the whole delete thing," he admitted. But I found away to live with it."

"So what's the final verdict on the hand to hand?"

"You're good, but you can do better." She knew that was coming. "And the next time I hear you call yourself a rookie you're running twenty laps around the gym. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir," she said with a salute

"Ok hit the showers. Oh just a word of warning," he added. "I have it from a very good authority that Boomer is planned an official welcoming party for you. If you know anything about Boomer…"

"I'll try not to hurt him," she said.

"See you're fitting in already." Target chuckled a bit as she headed for the locker room.


	29. Chapter 29

Special Police DekaOps

28

Rev sat across from the Captain, unsure of what to make of this. He and the Captain got along well enough, but this was the first time the Captain had asked him to go top side for a cup of coffee at a local cafe. Even stranger he was attempting to make small talk, as the humans say. Rev talked along with him, not wanting to make this awkward moment for him even more so. Finally his curiosity got to be too much for him. "Captain, may I ask you a question?"

"Go ahead Rev," he said.

"I do not want to sound unappreciative Captain, but I am unsure of why you asked me to join you today."

"Like you said Rev, that deal that put us in this unit made a bond between us. It's about time we started we started using it."

Rev thought that over, "While I appreciate the effort the timing still confuses me a little. I know your relationship with Michelle has left you a little more open…"

"I didn't ask you out here because of my relationship with Michelle," Dan told him. "And it isn't about what about what happened with D.E." He looked thoughtful for a moment, "Ok, it might have a little to do with it. It just occurred to me I've spent more one on one time with everybody else than I have with you."

"There have been several times time we have shared parts of a mission."

"Those are missions Rev," Dan countered. "I'm talking personal time here. I can't think of the last time we just sat down and talked."

"I assure you this isn't necessary Captain," Rev told him.

"I think it is."

Rev took that in. "That does seem to contradict your rule about not mixing your personal and professional lives."

"I know." He admitted, "but after I started that rule I found out pretty quick that the people under me have a hard time trusting me if they don't think I trust them. And you can only trust somebody if you know them. I had to work hard to find that middle ground."

"I see. If I may ask another question, why did you want to do this off of base?"

"Because I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen you actually stepped outside. And I'm talking non mission related."

"I do not want to be far from Base in case we get an assignment."

"It can't be healthy being cooped up down there like that. Even you need some sun every so often."

"I get plenty of sun when we go on assignment."

"You know what I mean."

"It is part of my upbringing as a Shalimon," he explained. He felt weird talking about this, but if he couldn't trust the Captain to understand who could he trust. "We are taught that devotion to our duty is to be second only to the Great Spirit. Although my life journey took a slightly different path I do try to uphold those teachings to the best of my abilities."

"Outside of one of us trying to drag you away from that?", Dan said with a smirk.

"I mean no disrespect Captain," Rev quickly said.

"I know you didn't Rev, I'm just messing with you."

"Why don't you eat somewhere else you filthy Skag!", somebody he didn't now shouted across the café. Dan got up ready to argue the point with the person but Rev held him back. The manager quickly got involved and escorted the person out. "Fucking Skag lover! I'm never going to fucking eat here again."

"You are more than welcome to take your business elsewhere," The manager told him as he pushed out the door. Coming over to their table he said, "I am extremely sorry for that."

"It is of no fault of your own," Rev assured him. The Manager apologized again before leaving the table. After a few more moments Dan's OpsLicense went off, he was getting a call. Leaving money for the bill they headed outside and found an isolated spot.

Making sure nobody was looking Dan answered the call, "This is Stevens, go."

"Sorry to interrupt you guy's play date," Michelle said, "but we have something here the Major wants Rev to check out."

"Understood, we'll be there as soon as we can. Stevens out."

"Play date?", Rev asked. Since his time on this planet he had learned a lot. Although his friends still occasionally said something that confused him.

"I'll explain on the way," Dan told him

***

When they got back the Major gave them the lowdown. There was another new drug that just hit the streets. SPD was able to get a sample of it rather quickly but so far had a hard time identifying it. The Major had suggested Rev be given a sample of it, just as a fresh set of eyes and he could bring a different perspective on it. Besides with his study of the medical procedures of different cultures he might have seen it a little more recently.

A few hours later Rev was still working on it, but he wasn't trying to identify it. He recognized it almost immediately. The entire time he was trying to prove himself wrong. There was no way the Alienizers had gotten a hold of it, there was just no way it was possible. He was so deep into his task he failed to notice when somebody walked in. "I know you told me you're taught to be totally devoted to your task but I'm hoping even Shalimon took the occasional break." He looked up to see Dan holding two cups of coffee, and Michelle right behind him.

Taking one of the cups he said, "Thank you Captain," before returning to work.

"This must be a tough one," Michelle commented as she sat on the other side of him. Both of them studied Rev as he concentrated on the drug in front of him.

"You know what it is, don't you?", Dan said. Rev said nothing as he looked away, but his left antenna twitched slightly. "How bad is this going to be?"

"I feel this is worse for me at the moment than anybody else," he told him.

"I don't understand," Michelle said. "What's in that compound that's so bad?"

"It is not a compound," Rev explained. "It is an extract of a plant found only on my planet."

"So we have Command contact your planet and have them watch the plant until an Alienizer shows up," Dan said.

"From the look on his face I don't think it's going to be that simple," Michelle told him.

"You are correct," Rev said. "Because of our physiology we can use the plant for medical purposes, in small doses. In other species the plant has a hallucinogenic that varies from species to species. Because of this the Shalimon cultivate and prepare the plant in our temples. Only those in the highest level of the order are permitted to tend and harvest it."

Leaning against the table with his arms crossed Dan said, "Sounds like it might be an inside job."

Rev immediately shot off of the stool and confronted him. "Captain, to even suggest that any Shalimon at any level of the order is behind this is an insult."

Dan was startled at his outburst but he didn't show it. "I know the order means a lot to you Rev, but I have to consider every possibility. Show me some proof they're not involved and I'll apologize to you on the spot. But until them they are on the list."

"I think we can solve this problem pretty quickly," Michelle said. "We can contact your planet and find out if anything has happened recently."

"That may be difficult," Rev told her. "The Shalimon are very secretive and very rarely reached out to the other sects when we had any problems." His antenna drooped a bit as he continued, "And because I decided to join SPD most of my relationships are strained as a result."

"There has to be somebody willing to talk to you," Michelle said. "Give me some names I'll help you out."

***

In an underground cavern lit by floating glowing orbs a light green skinned Zalmanian sat at a table. Wearing Earth clothing and propping his feet on the table he counted various denominations of the local currency. "I have to make a new rule, no bills smaller than a ten. I am tired of counting fives. Eh money is money I guess. Right old man?"

Behind him, guarded by a Batsuroid, a Zalmanian who was so old his skin was grey kneeled on the ground in tattered robes. Before him were several rows of a two foot tall purple plant. Carefully he examined each plant. Every so often he would consider picking a plant that wasn't quite ready. But every time the Batsuroid, almost as if it was reading his mind, would inch foreword and paid him some extra attention. If that was even possible.

"Hey old man," the younger one repeated. "I am talking to you. Get the dirt out of you ears."

"It is bad enough you have me doing this," he replied but didn't look back at him. "Do not drag me into your sinful ways even further."

"Whatever old man," he sneered. Going back to counting the stacks of cash he added," You've been locked up in that temple for so long you wouldn't know what to do with all of this if it was handed to you on a latimum platter."

***

After a few hours of work Michelle finally found somebody in the temple who would talk with Rev. Giving him the station she exited the Command Room to give him some privacy. In the hallway leading to the field team quarters she found Dan, Ace and Boomer waiting patiently for some news. "He just started."

"We're just here in case we got to go at a moment notice, "Ace told her.

"And if you believe that there's this lovely bridge in Brooklyn we'd like to sell you," Boomer joked.

Ace looked over at Dan. "Just this one time", he answered her silent question. A moment later her fist flew out and smashed into Boomer's arm.

"Ow," he whimpered a bit as he rubbed his arm. Realizing he wasn't going to get any sympathy from this crowd he joined them in watching Rev. "I don't think I've heard Rev speak in his language before. I've heard him chant in prayer a few times, but never in a conversation before."

"He spoke it for me once when I asked him to," Ace said. "I was a little embarrassed because I was expecting it to sound more bug like."

"You weren't the only one," Dan said. After a few minutes Rev right antenna drooped a little. He ended the transmission and walked over to them.

Michelle asked, "What did he say?"

Rev's tone was a tad somber when he answered. "He delivered some rather unsettling news. Several weeks ago one of the elders disappeared with a sizable section of the plant under our care."

"Did they report either one?", Ace asked.

"I am afraid not," he replied. "The other Elders wanted to investigate this themselves."

"Was there any signs of a break in?", Dan asked him. Despite what he suspected he was looking for anything to help support Rev's belief in his people.

That antenna drooped a little lower, "He did not say."

"I hate to say it Rev…," Ace started to say.

Quickly he cut her off, "There has to be an explanation."

"Let's take what we have to the Major," Dan told him. "The faster we get on this the faster we can find out one way or the other."

"I am almost afraid to bring this to him." Rev explained, "Given how close I am to this I think he would call it a fool's errand."

Dan smirked a bit remembering hearing those words himself. "Your fool's errand is my fool's errand Rev. You helped me out with that thing with Jase. I'll help you out with this."

"We all will," Ace told him. Boomer nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Rev said gratefully.

"Come on Rev," Dan said. "Seeing how they came to us I'm sure the Major will want us to jump right in. If not I'll beat him over the head with it until he gives in."

***

"The quality is getting worse old man!" the young threw the latest batch at him. The vial landed at his feet and broke apart. Looking undisturbed by the sudden tantrum the older man said noting while he waited for the storm to pass. "My sellers are telling me the buyers aren't staying buzzed as long as they were. They're complaining, they're actually complaining it's not as strong as it first was. What are you doing to me old man?!"

"I am doing nothing to you young one," he said calmly.

"Don't call me 'young one' old man if you know what's good for you," he threatened.

"You always were impatient," he sighed. "Even as a youngling at the temple. You refused to learn patience as part of the Shalimon life."

"That's because I decided to focus on more important things like money," the youth shot back. "Why is it getting weaker?!"

"If you paid attention to your lessons when you were younger then you would know that this plant can only be grown on our planet. Nowhere else can it be sustained." The young one gave a signal that the Elder had seen before. Taking the moment he had he braced himself. The Batsuroid behind him slapped him in the head and knocked him to the ground. "Have your machine beat me all you want," he said. "It will not change the fact these plants are dying."

Antenna stiffing in rage the young one said, "You better find a way to save them if you know what's good for you. Because if they die I have no use for you."

"I am not afraid to die."

"Well that's nice," the youth sneered, "seeing how you were afraid when I brought you with me. Too bad for you this Batsuroid will keep you on this side of death. You'll be begging for me to kill you and I'm just going to laugh and laugh. Now get back to work!"

***

A few days into the investigation they started to get some unusual reports. They checked the usual hot spots where alien drugs were being sold and they kept getting the same thing."It's getting less potent?", the Major said reading the report. Dan and Target stood on the other side of his desk and still in their civvies. "Maybe we'll get lucky and the problem will take care of itself," he said dryly.

"I don't think we'll get that lucky," Target commented. "Even if the supply did run out we still wouldn't know who the supplier was." She added, "I might not have known Rev as long as the rest of you but I don't think he's slept for the past couple of days."

"We all noticed," Pierce grunted. "I actually ordered him to take a nap a couple of times so far. Personally I'll be glad when this is over. So does anybody have any idea why it's getting weaker?"

Dan answered him, "I talked it over with Rev, he thinks the plant is dying. Which leaves the supplier with two options. Either get a fresh supply or try to save what he has."

"I don't think getting a fresh supply is an option," Target commented. "Depending on how fast this plant is dying his clientele could be drying out before he gets back."

"I agree," Dan said.

The Major nodded, "I'm still going to see if Command can keep an eye on the temple just in case the guy in charge does come back for the plant."

"Rev's not going to like that," Dan said.

"I know but I want to cover all the bases on this one. If the guy in charge has a secret way into the temple it would be best if we found out about it." Dan found he couldn't disagree with that logic. Hopefully Rev would agree with it as well. "Until then we better find this guy. Have Rev think of ways to keep this plant alive then give the list to Michelle. He'll be trying to get a hold of them one way or another. In the mean time the rest you hit the streets again. It's time to start putting some pressure on the sellers. Dan try not to smile while you're doing it."

"Can I help it if I'm good at it?"

"I know, I didn't teach you to enjoy it. Get on it and dismissed."

"Rodger," both of them saluted.

***

It took a combination of things to locate where the plants were over the next couple of days. Dan and the others were able to get a vague idea were the sellers were picking up the extract. The supplier had a couple different pick up locations. But they were all centered round the factory district. With the list Rev gave her Michelle was able to narrow down the search even more. A factory that hadn't been in use in years just received a shipment of a few of the things on the list. They had their target.

From a map of the area they knew the size was a couple of square miles. Dan and Ace did a drive by to assess the area. "I can probably land the Shepard in there," she said. "But the only place that looks big enough is that field over there. I can cloak the ship and dampen the sound on the engines, but the dirt is still going to be flying when I set her down. He would have to be blind not to see that."

"Then we do it the hard way," Dan said.

Around nightfall the jeep was back at the factory and all five of them looked at their target. There were several buildings and all of them were dark. None of them expected him to be that stupid to begin with. "That's a big place," Boomer commented to nobody in particular.

"And a lot of places to stash the stuff," Dan told him.

Rev lowered the hood on his hoodie and looked the place over. "The plant needs room to grow. The roots can travel several feet under the ground. Attempts to keep them in containers have failed in the past when we tried to secure the plant even further."

"So we look at the floors closer to the ground," Dan said. "There's a lot of ground to cover and we need to do it fast before they realize we're here. So I want each of you to take a building and do a search of the ground floor and basement if it has one."

"Wait Cap," Ace spoke up. "You want us to take a building by ourselves?"

"I know I don't usually order that but speed is of the essence here. I want everyone t be extra careful and to call the moment you spot any trouble. Use the scanner in your License to search the area. Transmit the building your in and the ones you already searched to the others. I don't want anybody to retrace anybody else's steps unless absolutely necessary. Is that understood?" They said they did. Giving the word they all jumped the fence surrounding the place.

Going their separate ways each explored a building. A couple of hours into the search Rev came out of his second building. Punching a couple of commands into his License gave the building on the map a green outline, showing he had already searched it. Studying the map he looked for a building that didn't have a colored outline. There was one a few yards to his left so he headed there. Like the other two the locks on the door had been busted too. Doing a quick life sign search he found the signature of several small animals. But there was something else he couldn't readily identify. The reading was below him so he quickly located a stairway leading to the basement. Locating where he was getting the signal he found an empty space with nobody around. He checked the License and it was working fine. So where was this reading coming from?

Playing a hunch as his friends would say lowered his License to the floor. The reading got stronger but he still wasn't getting enough to identify the source. Rev went over the plans of the factory in his head. None of them indicated that any of the building had a sub-basement. Rev was so deep in thought he almost missed it, a muffled voice, with his ears it sounded like somebody was yelling from a great distance. He paid more attention this time and was rewarded by hearing it again. It was coming from in front of him. There was noting there but a wall and some paneling on the floor, but experienced told him that wasn't always the case. A quick search located a handle on the panel and he slid it away. Underneath it was a homemade staircase leading further underground. "Ops3 to Ops1"

"Go ahead Rev," Dan answered."

"I believe I have located a secret passage way. I am going to investigate further."

"Rev wait for us," Dan told him. "There's no telling what's down there."

Rev heard the yelling again then somebody cry out. "I am afraid I can not do that Captain."

Hearing it as well over the link Dan said, "Be careful, we'll be there as soon as we can. Stevens to all units, locate Rev's marker and make your way to his location immediately."

Rev started to put the License in it's holster but hesitated. He might need it down there depending on what he saw. Going slowly to make sure he didn't make any noise on the way down. He quickly saw floating glowing globes he recognized from his home planet, his heart sank a little. These were the same globes that lit the halls in the temple. The stairs went further down and the air started to get that stale recycled taste to it. The steps went further past an opening and he backed against the wall. Peeking around as best he could and still not be seen he found out who was making the noise, someone was standing and someone on the ground, and he recognized them both.

"I warned you old man!" the youth said. "I told you to keep the plants alive!"

"And I told you the results would not be instantaneous. It would take days before we would know if it had any affect."

"Days!" the youth exploded. "I didn't steal these plants to hear days. Slag it, if you didn't walk in on me I wouldn't have had to drag your sorry carcass halfway across the galaxy to make sure you didn't tell anybody." He started kicking him as his anger exploded.

"That is enough!" Rev commanded as he stepped into view. The youth turned around frightened as the Batsuroid stepped between them.

"Ranzack," the Elder coughed.

"Ranzack?", the youth said. "Ranzack the Outcast? So this is where you ended up."

"You will leave the Elder alone," Rev told him.

"Or what the Outcast will arrest me?" He motioned to the Batsuroid, "Get him."

As it came foreword Rev switched modes on his License. "Emergency! DekaOps!" A green digital field surrounded him as his Dekasuit formed around him. "Face on!", the helmet covered his head and the field disappeared. Rev waited for the Batsuroid to come at him blocking the initial attack. The bot caught him off guard by pointing his weapon right in his face. Ducking right before it could fire Rev didn't have time to react as a knee hit him flush in the face. Reeling from the impact Rev covered up as the Batsuroid pounded at him. When it raised it hand for another strike Rev struck out with the palm of his left hand hitting it in the chest. With his right he reached into his pack and took out his D-Rod extending it to it's full length. Rev used it to block another strike at his head. Pressing the button on the handle the Rod glowed green and he ran it down the length of Batsuroid arm and through it's chest in one motion. It fell to the ground sparking.

"Rargh!" the youth jumped up intending to plant both of his feet into Rev's chest. With the Dekasuit enhancing his abilities Rev was able to catch him and throw him back. The youth flipped in the air and landed on his feet. Coming at Rev again he struck wildly Rev was able to dodge and knock away each one. Side stepping him completely the youth fell to the ground. "You wouldn't be so tough without that blasted Dekasuit!"

Calmly Rev said, "I seem to recall that they called you Zelar the Impatient. Always wanting to rush through your lessons. Never taking the time to reflect on what you have learned in order to understand it better. Never once appreciating in the way of things and your place in it, always looking for something more."

"My place in the way of things sucked!", the youth tried to charge at him again.

Rev grabbed him and flipped him to the ground, "And that attitude is why you have lost." The youth kicked him away and got up. This time Rev went on the attack catching him by surprise. A side kick to the chest knocked the youth back. Slowly Red reached for behind him and drew his OpsLicense.

"You're going to judge me you slagging bastard!?"

"Although the device is in my hand I will not be the one deciding your fate. Target orders." The area around them went dark as a red X and a blue circle started flashing between them. After the youth was scanned the red X shined brightly. Softly Rev said, "Eliminate target." Feeling the Elders eyes on him Rev lowered his head. He was hoping the apprehend order was going to be given. "As a Shalimon I cannot take the life of another Zalmanian."

The youth broke out in a grin, "Sucks to be you," and started to leave. He stopped in his tracks when he saw four others in Dekasuits standing by the stairs.

"I don't have that problem," Dan said. To the others he said, "Ready!" The locked their OpsLicense into their D-Shots. Taking aim he shouted, "Strikeout!" Four streams hit him and he was deleted in seconds. Both Rev and the Elder lowered their heads and prayed for him.

Rev slowly took off his helmet as Dan walked foreword doing the same. After a moment he said, "I'm a man of my word Rev. I'm sorry…"

"You were correct Captain," he said. "The culprit was part of the temple."

"I wasn't totally right," he told him. "All the signs were pointing to somebody high up."

"Thank you for trying Captain," he said, "but Zelar was still part of the temple. I will take whatever punishment you think is appropriate for not fulfilling my duties."

"You did what you thought you had to do Rev," Dan said. "The report going to say the target was judged and deleted, nothing else." Rev nodded then walked over top the plants with his head lowered.

***

"We're ready to blow this thing," Boomer told them by the basement entrance. "Just give the word Cap."

"Not until Rev is out of there," he told him even though they all knew that any way.

"I wonder what they're saying down there," Target wondered out loud.

"I don't care if this guy is the High Elder of the entire planet," Ace said, "if he gives Rev any lip I'm giving him a piece of my mind."

Dan glanced at her, "I appreciate the sentiment Ace but we don't need an intergalactic incident out of this too."

In the underground cavern Rev and the Elder finished pulling up the plants and dripping a concoction into the ground to take care of the roots. They piled them into a small mound on the ground. His antenna flat against his head the Elder said, "There will be an investigation over this."

"I am sure they will clear you," Rev said. "You were forced to do this against your will. I am confident they will not punish you for this."

"They will say I should have put up more of a fight." Looking ashamed of himself he admitted, "I was afraid I might die if I did not comply."

Rev watched him for a moment, thinking deep. "My Captain has told me several times that fear is a part of who we are, no matter the species."

"I do believe they used to teach that when I was a youngling," the Elder said. "A surprisingly wise statement from a human."

"I have found that they do have the occasional moment of insight from time to time," Rev told him. After a few more moments of silence Rev spoke again, "I know my words does not mean much anymore in the temple but I will testify on your behalf. I heard Zelar say he kidnapped you."

"You have my appreciation Ranzack," the Elder told him. "I am not sure what fate will bring but I will face it with more dignity than I have. To be honest I was one of the many who were disappointed in you when you decided to leave and join SPD. Now I think the Great Spirit had a different path for you to take. If he ever decides that you should rejoin us, as long as I am Elder you will be welcome back Ranzack."

"Thank you Elder." A moment later the Elder lit the pile on fire and both of them performed the traditional prayer until the fire died out.


	30. Chapter 30

Special Police DekaOps

29

Pierce sat behind his desk rubbing the side of his temples. Since taking this position he has talked to his superior, Commander Scorp and others in SPD Command more times than he could count. But not once had one of those conversations caused him to feel a headache like he is now. "I don't like this," he said to the image of Scorp in front of him. "Treating them like that, it doesn't feel right."

He replied with a series of clicks, a few moments later his translator responded, "I know this will be difficult but it is necessary. I am certain they will understand."

You're not the one who's going to have to face them afterwards he thought. "I hope they will but I know Dan doesn't like surprises. You remember how he reacted when we brought him into that first meeting don't you?"

"He was a little more resistant… than I was expecting," Scorp admitted. "But he did conform to the situation."

"Conform wouldn't be the word I'd use but I know what you mean."

Scorp nodded, "While it isn't necessary I feel I should remind you that you are not to tell any of them this."

"I know sir," Pierce said. "OpsBase Earth out." After the image faded away he opened a drawer and pulled out a bottle of aspirin. Popping a couple of them into his mouth he leaned back and waited for them to kick in. Never mind Dan, none of them were going to like this."

***

The alarm rang though out the base, Dan and Ace ran to the Command Room from the hanger. Ace had asked him to come down there a few minutes before. Dan didn't know why the Major was wondering if the Shepard could make it to low orbit either. One of them would have to remember to ask him about it after they got back. When they got there Dan noticed he wasn't looking at them like he usually did. He almost looked distracted by something. When he finally looked at Dan he found something else to look at real quick. Something was wrong all right.

Michelle pulled up a picture of the planet Earth on the big screen. It was covered by various lines indicating all the satellites and stations orbiting the planet. One in particular was highlighted red. "We got a bit of a surprise an hour ago," she said. "Sensors picked up a new object in low Earth orbit." Ace and Dan exchanged looks. "And when I mean surprise I mean it was literally not there one second and there the next. I can't find anybody who can figure out how it got there."

"It doesn't matter how it got there," The major said a little too sharply. All of them looked at him. A little more subdues he continued, "All that matters is that it's there now. Command wants us to check it out and find out how it got there."

"That seems a little out of our jurisdiction," Dan commented.

"Yeah," Boomer agreed, "isn't this something the SpaceBase should be checking out?"

"Normally yes," Pierce told them. "But with the sudden appearance of the object it was felt that we should check things out first. Ace I'm going to give you a little extra time to work on a flight plan. But since we don't know their intent you might want to hurry it up. Dismissed."

The other left the Command Room while Dan walked over to the Major. With some concern he asked, "What's going on?"

"If this is how I talked to Michelle I apologize," he said without looking at him.

"I've known you for a few years now Major," Dan said. "And you always act like this when something isn't right. Now what is it? Is everything between you and Helen…"

"I do believe there is an assignment you have to prepare for," he told him. His tone said that was all he was hearing on the matter.

Dan studied him for a moment before saying, "You and me are going to talk when we get back." With that he finally left the room.

Pierce sighed and leaned heavily on his cane, "I'm sure you'll have more than a few words when you do."

"Major…," Michelle cautiously started.

"I am very sorry about how I spoke with you Michelle," he told her. Walking away he continued, "I have a shuttle pod being prepped in the hanger. I'll be leaving after they do."

Michelle looked startled, "Wait, you're leaving? You never leave while they're on a mission."

"A special meeting between Earth Commanders," he quickly said. "I can't miss it."

"Those meetings have happen before," she reminded him. "You always told them you'd be there after you found out how the mission went."

"I really wish I could explain Michelle, I really do, but I can't," he said not turning around. "I'm going to have to ask you to keep quiet about this. I don't want them to know I've gone." Michelle started to say something but he cut her off. "I'll make that an order if I have to Michelle."

"Yes sir," Michelle said and returned to her station. Pierce turned his head to look at her, feeling nothing but regret. Hopefully they will all understand once this was over."

***

It took longer than usual to prepare the Machine Shepard for launch. Ace ran her crew triple time to make sure the hull didn't ice up, especially the engines. As a precaution she made sure everybody had an oxygen tank for the trip. She'd gone over this jet more time than she could count and knew her like the back of her own hand, she knew the internal pressure would hold. Ace would have bet money on it, but it never hurt to hedge your bets every so often. After that was done she went to Michelle for help with the flight plan. Normally this wouldn't be a problem but she never plotted a course for anything that high up before.

The cockpit was unusually quiet as they launched, all of them were thinking about how the Major was acting. The only sound was the occasional vibration from the ship followed by Ace patting a console by her left leg and mumbling, "It's ok baby, it's just a little turbulence." After a few more minutes of silence she looked over to Dan, "Cap, did Michelle look a little off to you before we left?"

"I noticed," he answered.

"Do you think she knows what's going on with the Major?"

"No she was as surprised as the rest of us at how he was acting." Sitting there for a moment he added, "But she knows something and the Major doesn't want her to say."

"She told you that?"

"Not exactly," he admitted. "She really didn't confirm or deny it when I brought it up. I'm only thinking that's the reason is because she looked unsure of herself. And in the short time I've known her she's never been unsure about anything."

"I've never known her to be unsure of anything either. What's going on?"

"I don't know," Dan told her, "But I intend to find out."

"We're approach the target," Target announced behind them.

"Status?", Dan asked immediately changing mental gears to get into the moment.

"I am not reading any life signs from this distance," Rev announced

"Nothing over the airwaves," Boomer said.

"I'm not reading any type of scan or target lock in our direction," Target added.

"Ace get us closer and do a flyby," Dan said.

"I already plotted a course," she told him. They got closer and saw it in more detail. It looked like a space station built into an asteroid. And it was just hanging there above the planet's surface. More than one of them wondered how that snuck past the sensor grid. "I'm seeing what looks like two hangers," Ace announced. "One of them looks open."

"Let's do that flyby and work from there," Dan said. Ace circled it a few times. Dan called out for a status report again and got the same answers as before. It was there and nobody was home from the look of things. "I'm not seeing another option here, take us in Ace."

"Rodger." She swung the Shepard around and headed for the hanger. Target told them there was an energy field surrounding the opening, but it was only strong enough to keep the atmosphere in. So Ace wasn't surprised when a static looking effect started to outline the ship as they passed through it. Once inside Ace activated the landing thrusters before cutting the main engines. Landing with a slight bump Dan turned toward Rev and Target.

"We still weren't scanned," she said.

"The air is breathable," Rev said after checking his sensors. "There are some strange elements in it but nothing harmful."

"Right." Dan got up and headed for the ramp, "Target, you and me are going out first. Ace keep the engines warmed up in case we have to get out of here in a hurry."

"Rodger," they both replied. When Target joined him in the cargo bay Dan hit the ramp control. As it open both of them were hit with the alien air. Like Rev said it was breathable but there was a taint to it. Making their way down the ramp they were surprised when the hanger door started to close.

"It's closing too fast for us to get out in time," Ace said going over the sensor readings. "I can turn us around and fire the main laser but the Shepard isn't maneuverable enough to make a hole big enough for us to get out."

"Rev said there weren't any life signs," Target said as the door sealed shut. "An automated response?"

"Let's find out." Dan looked around the hanger. He didn't see anything that looked like a control room, just a door at the far end of the hanger. "Lock up the ship and stay together. I don't want us splitting up unless we have to. This place is one big hole and I don't like it. Boomer can you get through to OpsBase and let them know the situation?"

"We lost signal as soon as those door closed," he called back.

"Blind and deaf," Dan mumbled. "Everybody keep your eyes open. Rev you tell me the moment you hear anything off."

"Understood Captain," he replied. With Weapons drawn they headed for the door.

***

Ghost ship entered their minds more than once the more they explored the interior. If it wasn't for the lighting in the upper part of the walls they couldn't have known there was any power at this point. The Station even felt empty, although Target and Boomer couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. A bit of searching found a wall terminal that Boomer quickly went to work on. In no time he found a map to the floor that he quickly downloaded into his OpsLicense. Running a quick check he announced, "There's no extra programs or traps in the map, it's clean. I still can't believe the language was in galactic basic."

"Be grateful for small favors," Ace told him. "What do you think Cap, a room by room search?"

"Perhaps we should discover how big of a search area we have to deal with," Rev offered.

"That's probably a good idea," Dan said after thinking it over. "Does anything on that map look like an elevator?"

"Give me a second," Boomer said. "I'm not seeing an elevator but I'm seeing what looks like a ladder bay around the corner a ways."

"Better than nothing," Dan said. "Boomer take the lead."

"Right," he said as he walked off. Every so often Dan and Ace would check a door they passed. Most appeared to be locked but every so often they found an open one and an empty room. Dan kept looking back at the locked doors behind them before going on. Finally they arrived at the ladder as Boomer looked up it. "I'm only seeing one other opening and that's a long ways up."

"Let me see," Dan got a good look. "Looks like we only have two floors unless there's some more ladder somewhere else." Checking his map Boomer said there were. Testing the ladder a bit he said, "Boomer, follow me up." After what turned out to be a three story trip Dan cautiously peeked over the opening before climbing the rest of the way. He checked one direction as Boomer stepped onto the floor and checked the other. "Clear," he said knowing Rev would hear it. "I see another terminal."

"I'm on it," Boomer said. While he accessed the terminal Ace and the other booked it up the ladder. "I got it," he said after a few moments. "I think I found that elevator too. It's at the end of a really long hallway for some reason. Wait a sec," he studied the map a little closer as the other joined them. "I found the command center."

"Is it anywhere near the elevator?", Target asked.

"They're on opposite ends of the complex."

"Why am I not surprised," Ace said out loud.

"Alright, the first order of business is to secure that command center," Dan told them. "We get that under control we can find out why this station is here and unlock the hanger the Shepard is in."

A noise caught their attention as they turned toward the ladder. A panel slid over the opening on the floor sealing it shut. "Shit," Ace rushed over. Finding a wall panel she hit it several times with no result, "It doesn't work. Boomer…"

"I'm locked out," he said before she could finish.

"It's Mexico all over again," Dan muttered.

"What happened in Mexico?", Target asked.

"I believe the correct term is we were duped," Rev explained.

"We can catch her up later," Dan said. "I want that center under our control now." Luckily Boomer was able to download this floor map before he was locked out. So he took the lead again and headed for the station CC. Before long Rev stopped and looked behind them. "What is it?", Dan asked.

"I thought I heard something unlock."

Ace grabbed Target's attention and they went back down the hall. When they returned she reported, "All the doors still look locked and the ladder still sealed tight. I don't know what Rev heard."

"Let's not hang around and find out," Dan said as they kept going. Ten minutes later they found the door leading to the CC and another dead panel. Dan looked at it for a moment before saying, "Boomer, do you think you can redo that door trick that you did in Hawaii?"

"I'll give it a go." Slipping off his backpack he quickly removed a plate underneath the panel. While he connected his comm. gear to the wires inside Dan and the other waited impatiently while they kept guard. Everything about this mission was feeling wrong. After what felt like an eternity Boomer said, "I got it."

The door slid open revealing an Igadroid on the other side. Ace and Target reacted first shooting it in the chest. More came behind it. The walls on either end of the corridor opened revealing more Igadroids as well as some Batsuroids and Anaroids. "Find some room!" Dan ordered as they ran back the way they came. They got around the corner and found another army of bots coming at them. Dan looked both ways, "Damn it. Change standby. Emergency! DekaOps!"

Each one was surrounded by a digital field. Dekametal formed around them creating a black bodysuit. A colored strip traveled down their body forming a number on the left side of their chest. A backpack appeared on their back as the D-Shots flashed into existence. "Face on!", they shouted and the Dekametal formed a helmet around their heads.

"Special Police!" The lights on their helmets started to flash, "DekaOps!"

"We got to get to that elevator," Dan said as he unlatched his D-Shot. "Make a hole and keep going." Before the others could comply something started to feel wrong. Dan suddenly started to feel weightless as did the others, "What the fuck?"

"I did not think we were so far out that we would stop start feeling of Earth gravity," Rev said.

"It's got to be a trick," Boomer said as he reached into his pack and pulled out a small disc. Pressing the center he tossed it like a Frisbee at the group behind them. The moment it came into contact with a Anaroid it was assaulted by a massive electoral jolt that fried it's system. Arcs went out and affect the bots around it the same way. "I was hoping that would take out more."

"We'll worry about it later," Ace said as she tried to run but the lack of gravity messed her up.

Boomer caught her. "Ace like this," he pushed off the floor once and went over the oncoming bots who tried to grab at him. Dropping more of the disc he called out, "You just have to get started and not worry about the rest."

"You heard him," Dan said as he planted his foot against the wall and fired at the Bots till coming at them from behind as they got in range. Ace and target went after Boomer with Rev trailing behind. He was having a hard time controlling his movements.

Target stopped herself long enough to grab him, "I got you Rev."

"You have my appreciation Angela," he told her. She helped him get going. Dan waited as long as he could before kicking off the wall and following. As he sailed above them it looked like the bots where still attached to the floor. Whatever was going on they caught a small break. "Looks like somebody didn't think of everything."

"Just move enough to keep your momentum going," Boomer called out to them. Listening to his instructions Ace and Target, who was still holding on to Rev, quickly caught up with him when he found a clear area to rest up and regroup for a moment. Boomer dropped all the discs he had and took out most of them Dan came around the corner, kicked off another wall to turn and grabbed a door to stop. "Smooth moves Cap," Boomer told him.

"Compliment me later," Dan said. "Where's that elevator? And how do you know this stuff?"

"Lisa had a cousin in the space program before he had to leave because of a medical problem and I read a lot of science fiction growing up. And it should be down that corridor over there." Before he finished speaking the walls opened up again revealing more boys. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Move!", Dan ordered. He hated calling a retreat but they were so out of their element it wasn't funny. They had to find whatever was controlling the gravity and get it back on. Again Rev had a hard time getting going. Dan had to grab him and literally threw him toward the others. Spinning around and pushing off the wall Dan fired his D-Shot. An Anaroid took a direct hit to the chest and fell backwards into the one behind it.

"I see the elevator!", Boomer said as he reached the corridor. Ace grabbed Rev and helped him there as Target put her back to the wall and fired her D-Shooter at another group of bots coming out of another wall a few yards behind Boomer.

"Get to the elevator!", Dan yelled before he even got there. Ace continued to hold on to Rev as they followed his order. By the time he got there they were already over halfway to the elevator. He looked at both approaching groups then back at his team. Turning into the corridor he went a few yards before stopping himself and waited. He didn't wait long as several Igadroids and Batsuroids started to fill up the opening. Pushing off the floor with all he had he fired his D-Shot, it gave him a little more momentum but not much.

"Cap come on!", Ace shouted. They were already at the elevator.

Looking back he saw how much more he had to go, something told him he wasn't going to make it. Stopping himself he told Ace, "Get them home." He had to hold them off for as long as possible so they could get to the next floor. Letting go of the D-Shot he grabbed his D-Rod and D-Knife he watched as they got closer

"Simulation ended," a computer voice said out of nowhere.

"What the…?", Ace said as the gravity came back on and they roughly landed on they're feet. Dan fell to a knee as the bots faded away. Ace and the other ran up to him as a door appeared directly in front of them and opened. The Major and Commander Scorp walked out as the inside started to change around them. The corridor became shorter as more doors took it's place along with a SPD symbol on the wall.

Dan ripped off his helmet as he stormed toward them, "What in the hell is going on?"

Scorp's mouth and claws clicked a bit before the translator on his uniform kicked in, "A test. We had to see how you and your unit would react in this situation."

"All of this for a test?", Ace asked in disbelief.

"You could have told me this was going to happen," Dan told the Major.

"I was under orders not to," he explained. "I didn't want to treat you like this Dan but Commander Scorp thought this was the best way to get an honest result."

"And what interesting results they were," Scorp said. "Sgt. Parker responded the best to the situation with Captain Steven close behind. Surprisingly Sgt. Ranzack preformed the worst."

"If these test are over then we're going home," Dan said sharply.

"Not so fast Dan," Pierce said, "There was a reason for all of this. We got word the Iczians are coming back."

"Again with the bringing 'civilization' B.S.," Boomer groaned.

"Unfortunately yes," Pierce said. "But this time they're bringing a ship that can freeze a planet from orbit. The plan is to send in a boarding party to disable it. The only drawback is the Iczians favorite defensive maneuver is to cut the gravity in the sector the invading party is in."

"So all of this was to get ready for that?", Dan demanded. Looking around at the new interior he added, "And what in the hell is this place?"

"This is an orbital OpsBase that the other Ops units use," Scorp explained.

"We were going to get one of these before SPD made that deal with the Government," the Major added. "It was modified a bit for the test to see if you're ready for this." Pierce reached into his command jacket and pulled out a data pad he handed to Dan.

Reading a bit he noticed a particular spelling and uttered, "EXternal Operations?"

"It is a special program for the Ops units," Scorp answered. "Because of the nature of the situation your unit was picked to undergo the training first. That elevator will take you to the second hanger holding a craft, the Machine Tiger, will take you to the facility."

"Machine Tiger?", Dan asked arching an eyebrow

"It was christened after one of your fallen comrades after he helped design the vessel," Scorp told him.

"Dan we have a week at best," Pierce said. "You need to complete the training and get back here as soon as possible."

"Yes sir," Dan said.

"We'll talk when you get back."

"You better believe it." Without another word he got the others in the elevator.

"He's pissed alright," the Major said to nobody in particular.

"I understand that he's upset at being fooled," Scorp began to say.

"That's not why he's pissed," the Major told him. "I've always believed a good commander knows how each person in his unit is going to react in any situation. I knew he was going to be mad. Do you remember when I told why I wanted him leading this unit?"

"Yes, you said Captain Stevens has two main priorities, to get the mission done and to get his team home safely."

"Well in his mind the latter was made almost impossible and we put him through all of that for nothing. He'll calm down but it's going to take awhile. Now if you'll excuse me I have to coordinate a defensive plan with the other Commanders in case they don't get back in time."

***

When the elevator doors reopened they walked out into the second hanger. They were greeted by a futuristic looking black jet with white markings that resembled tiger stripes. Dan studied it for a few moments before putting a hand on the hull, "Tony."

Ace was eyeing it like a kid in a candy store. Pointing at the engines she said, "Those are Mark V star drives."

"Ace, you're starting to drool," Boomer said.

"Get on board," Dan told them. "We don't have time to waste." Ace nodded and they boarded the ship. Each of them took a seat in the cockpit, which was similar to the layout of the Shepard. Ace naturally took the pilot's chair. Once the hatch closed the Tiger lifted into the air as the hanger doors opened. Within moments they were in space and headed toward the nearest stargate.

"That's one hell of an auto pilot," Ace commented. "I don't like it."

"I'm sure it's just for the initial trip," Dan assured her. "Let's see if we can figure out what our destination is."

"Right," Ace said. Her finger worked on the computer between them. Without any trouble she found the coordinates and a star map of the system they were headed for. Dan stared at the map, something about it bugged him.

"I think I know where we're going."

***

On another ship entirely humanoid looking ice creatures known as Crystalines where standing guards. At the center station an Iczian, who looked a little like an abdominal snowman, stared at an image of the planet Earth. He stared at it for a long time, it was the one that got away. Behind him a female Iczian walked up and leaned on the back of his chair. "It still stings, does it not dear?", she asked.

"Yes it does darling," he said. "To think these savages believe they had the upper hand, it gives me a case of indigestion."

"Relax dear, we'll finally give this poor planet the gift of cold it has been longing for will to cure that. Captain, how soon do we arrive to this planet in sore need of civilization?"

"A few cycles ma'am," he answered. "We have to make a few jumps before we can get in range of the system. Otherwise we'll burn out the engines."

"And we don't want that," the male said. "Imagine just stopping out here while others think we are helpless. The planet waited this long," he took his wife's hand and kissed it, "it can wait a little longer."


	31. Chapter 31

Special Police DekaOps

30

"EXternal Operations?", Michelle said out loud as she did a check on the computer systems. She only decided to do so after she noticed some space on their hard drive was mysteriously taken up. A thorough search, and some "special" software she created, gave her the name of this particular file. She couldn't go any further because a password she couldn't crack was preventing her from getting into it. "What the hell is this?"

"I told them you'd notice," Major Pierce said as he entered the Control Room. "But then again they don't know you as well as I do."

"So what is it?"

"Something Dan and the others are going to need once they complete their training. Which is hopefully soon."

"Training?", Michelle asked. She was hating the fact the information officer was apparently out of the loop. The Major took a deep breath before explaining the situation to her. "Why didn't you tell us about this?", she said in a state of shock.

"I was under orders not to," he explained. "Direct from Commander Scorp. I hated keeping all of you in the dark but I didn't have much of a choice."

"So where are they going?"

"Some place Dan knows pretty well," he said. He walked over to her station and pulled up the file. Then he imputed the password, "Since the proverbial cat is out of the bag I might as well let you in on what I know. It's not going to totally make up for how I was acting, but hopefully it's a start."

Michelle eyes were transfixed on her screen as information and schematics flashed by, "Holy shit."

"So do you think they're going to enjoy their new toys?"

* * *

Over the horizon a second sun started it's accent in the morning sky. The Machine Tiger flew over the canopy of the jungle heading for a complex in the distance. The autopilot landed the craft on a landing pad not far from the main building. The rear hatch opened and a ramp lowered as they walked out onto the alien planet. In their black field uniforms they looked around. "Nagasus 7", Dan never thought he'd be back here again. Movement in the jungle caught his attention while Rev looked in the same direction. "Did you hear something?"

"Yes Captain," Rev replied.

With his fingers Dan told Target and Rev to head to the right and for Ace and Boomer to go left. Drawing his SP-Shooter Dan headed for the middle. He didn't go far before he realized where he was in the jungle. That open area was too far away but there a small patch that would work just as well. The being stalking them targeted him first knowing exactly what he was capable of. He lost track of the human momentarily and kneeled to listen to the environment around him. A rustling to his left caught his attention. The human's hat disappeared behind a large brush. He was disappointed, that was sloppy of him. He went to the far side of the brush to ambush him. Waiting for the footsteps to get closer he jumped out of hiding. A hairy bipedal beast stared lazily at him while it chewed on some leaves. Alright that was clever. He wasn't surprised he felt something poke him in the back. "Perhaps the Commander wasn't aware that was the second oldest trick in the book," Dan said.

"Perhaps not," Mynx said with that guttural chuckle of his. He spun around quickly to catch him off guard. He took the weapon from Dan's hand and was surprised to see a stick instead of a gun.

Dan raised his SP-Shooter, "And that would be the third." He smiled a bit before lowering the weapon as Mynx laughed again. Holstering his Shooter he took out his OpsLicense and switched it to phone, "Steven to all units, target is a friendly. Return to the Tiger." Ace and Target both replied in the affirmative. "It's good to see you back on your feet Commander," Dan said as they headed back compound. "You were in pretty bad shape when I saw that video."

"It took me a while to heal from Waven and his group's attack. But I'm tougher than Duranium hull plating. It's a shame we had to lose Tony and his unit as a result." Both of them lowered their head, Dan nickname for the tiger stuck fast with the others. "I heard they targeted you after that."

"They did," Dan said. "It took longer than I would have liked but we got them." Dan looked around remembering all the crap he went through on this planet. "To be honest I'm surprised anybody is still here. After the Alienizers found out about it I was positive it'd be abandoned."

"I thought we would have to relocate too," Mynx agreed. "But every intelligence report says the Alienizers stopped having any interest in this sector soon afterwards. But Command is playing it safe in this case. We have sensor satellites throughout the system. As well as various droid ships flying around tracking any Alienizer satellites and feeding them false information."

"Sounds like something Scorp cooked up," Dan commented.

Mynx grunted, "You know him all too well it seems. I get the occasional report about you and your unit. Trytan was very impressed about the way you handled that particular situation."

"I couldn't have done anything without my team."

"Spoken like the leader I'd knew you be." Mynx stopped and held out his hand. "I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to surrender your License."

"Can I ask why?"

"Scorp's orders," he answered. "Your unit will have to surrender theirs as well. They well be returned to you after you complete the program. And none of you will leave until all of you have passed. I hate to tell you this Dan, and again this comes from Scorp, but you cannot assist your team in any way during the training. Nor can any of your team mates help each other."

"That makes no sense," Dan said. "We function as a team and we survive as a team."

"I know but Scorp wants everybody to pass this on their own."

"Scorp was behind a desk during basic too wasn't he?", Dan asked not even bothering to hide his annoyance. Looking at his License Dan handed over to Mynx. "Never let it be said I don't know how to follow orders."

"Good. Come Captain let's go to your team so I can explain the program."

"It can't be any worse than my original training here."

* * *

"Blasted plasma storm," the Captain of the Iczian battle cruiser said to himself. This was going to set the timetable back a bit. "You," he pointed to a Crystaline, "make sure there's no leak in the starboard power coupling. The freeze cannon won't function at peak efficiency if it is."

"Is there a problem Captain," A male voice behind him said. The only other Iczian crew was a husband and wife team who previously failed in an attempt to bring civilization to the planet known as Earth. This mission was their shot at redemption.

"Nothing we can't fix sir," the Captain replied. "These plasma storms have a tendency to play a little havoc with the inner workings of the ice cannon." The cannon was actually a dish on the underside of the nose of the ship, but it worked in much the same way. "I'm getting a spike that's well within safety range but I thought it was better to check it know before we got there."

"Oh I agree my good Captain," he said. "It would be downright disgraceful if we get there and the savages get a chance to put up a defense before we can even fire a shot. Take whatever precautions you think are necessary. My wife and I will fine tune our attack strategy in the meantime."

"Very good sir," the Captain said.

* * *

Mynx examined them as they stood at attention. He told them as of now this was as back to basic as they could get. Each of them wore nothing but their black pant, boots and a plain grey T-shirt. "I heard the stories about the Ops unit from Earth," he said in full drill sergeant mode. "And let me tell you low lives right now it doesn't mean a damn thing. You might have thought you were hot stuff back home. But you maggots are in my world now. You want anything you are going to have to earn it. Is that understood?!"

"Sir yes sir!", they replied.

"Now I'm sure Captain Stevens told you about his previous experience here. But what I have in store for you is totally different than what he went through. You will learn to fight an enemy in any condition where you find yourself weightless. You will learn the tactics necessary to perform at maximum efficiency in those situations or you will not leave. Is that understood?!"

"Sir yes sir!"

"I can't hear you."

"Sir yes sir!", they shouted.

"Excellent." He stood in front of Rev, "And I will not stand for anybody holding the others back. Is that understood?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Good!" He started walking in front of them staring at each one of them. "This experience will change the way you think in battle. Now this program is designed to teach you how to move and fight in a Zero G environment. Now this might be the only time you have to use this particular set of skills. But they claim humans are very creative so it is possible you may discover a different way to use these skills I am about to pound into you." Looking at Dan a moment longer than the others he added, "Because I am in a generous mood and I know a good soldier hates surprises I will tell you that you will be walking away with more than this training.

"I pray you maggots are smart enough to realize that external means outside. And outside a ship's protective hull is all sorts of cosmic radiation and your standard Dekasuits won't be able to protect you fully. A protective shell will cover you to protect your worthless hides." Standing in front of them he looked at each one like he was trying to gauge the depth of their souls. "Your training begins now. Double time it to the complex!"

"Sir yes sir!", they turned and ran for the building. Mynx held back and studied them one more time. They were Stevens' unit aright. Now here's hoping they'll be able to live up to expectations.

* * *

"This is unacceptable," Chatrox nearly exploded. The blob like holo image he was talking to didn't immediately respond. This was somebody high up in the organization, the image gave it away. They were paranoid about any transmission being intercepted they spent million of credits for their image filters to hide their identities. Occasionally you thought you could pick out a familiar voice in the distortion but it was rare. "How long have we worked to get a foothold on this miserable planet?!"

"You hate Earth Chatrox," the image said, "or so I have been told."

"It's the principle of the matter," he argued. "How many billions of credits have been poured into this operation? Are the bosses just going to let that go down the drain? The Iczians can go 'civilize' some other worthless planet."

"Unfortunately the Iczian don't sit down and have a reasonable conversation with anybody they consider beneath the. Which apparently is everybody else in the galaxy."

"They probably won't consider a bribe in this situation I suppose."

"We tried in the past," The image said. "No once they target a planet they consider it theirs. The fact it really isn't is only a matter of formality."

"So we're suppose to just drop everything and leave?", Chatrox demanded.

"I figured you would be happy about that." He could almost see the smirk on the other side of the transmission.

"Like I said it's the principle of the matter. I may have clients, well paying clients, I may not get back if I am forced to relocate." Besides he still needed to be the one to end Steven's miserable existence.

"According to our leads SPD has a plan," the image said. "Right now we're telling our Agents to get off planet until we see how this plays out. But," it continued slowly, "if an Agent with a particular set of skills should just happen to sneak aboard the Iczian ship and inadvertently help whatever plan SPD has…"

"It would be a suicide mission," Chatrox snorted.

"Perhaps, but the bosses would be very grateful. Not enough to assign that agent to another planet, seeing how precious their cliental is. But I am sure they would be rewarded with a very large monetary sum if they survived. It is something to think about." The image faded away and left Chatrox fuming. Help SPD, how humiliating. He shouldn't have complained, after the Iczians took this miserable planet he'd finally be free to go elsewhere. But then he would have to lose his dream of plunging the blade of his knife into Steven's still beating heart.

* * *

Mynx had told then there were basically two stages to the training. And none of them would were going to see stage two until all of them had completed stage one. After three days most of them were practically dancing around the Zero G chamber. And after three days they were still stuck at stage one because Rev was still having problems without any gravity. It was frustrating because all of them had an idea or two in how to help him. But because of Scorp's inane rule they couldn't go over there and discuss it with him. He even ordered they be bunked in separate parts of the compound so they couldn't say anything after hours.

During a break period Rev sat rejected on a bench away from the others, his antennas drooping. All of their hearts went out to him, if they could only head over there and give him something other than words of encouragements. Dan went over that rule in his head again and again. He thought he might have found a way around it. Rules were rules, but once they started to mess with his team's effectiveness then all bets were off. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ace scratch her arm. He stopped himself from smiling when she gave him a quick hand signal. He wasn't the only one who thought of a way around that rule. Giving a quick signal back as he stretched she walked over to him. "You worried about Rev?", she asked.

"He'll get it," he answered. "I know he will. I've been watching him though, his antennas are flying wild when he's in Zero G."

Ace nodded, "I noticed. He told me once they help with his balance. That might be what's throwing him off. If he concentrated on keeping them flat against his head or something it might help."

"It's a pity we can't tell him." Rev started to look their way before Ace scratched the back of her head and gave him a quick sign. He twitched his right antenna, he understood. Dan cracked his neck as he got up. That order said he couldn't discuss things with the rest of the team about a particular member. If that team mate just happened to overhear that conversation… oh well.

* * *

He came in seeing his wife hard at work at her assigned task. Walking up behind her he started messaging her shoulders, feeling how tight the tension was making them. She moaned slightly as his fingers took some of it away. Studying what she was going over he asked, "How is it going darling?"

"Tediously dear," she answered. "We needed the intelligence we have now the first time. We might have tried to accelerate the schedule."

"I heard this planet was over flowing with ruffians hiding behind those badges."

"I wouldn't say overflowing," she chuckled. Leaning forward she manipulated the globe hovering before her until it grew in size. "But they do have more than their fair share I'm afraid. From what I can tell there were at least nine other units planned for this planet. Most of those planned either stalled or disappeared altogether. There were a couple of minor ones like a DekaRail I believe it was called that were stationed here," On the globe the image of the United States flashed briefly. "Then there was the orbital station here," it flashed it's current position. "It serves as an immigration post if I heard right."

"How disgusting," he shivered, "all those savages in one place. Where are the main units darling?"

"The main DekaRanger unit is located here," Singapore's position flashed. "The ones I think were called DekaRescue are here," The United Kingdom flashed next. "DekaSquad has a mobile base according to all reports but are generally in this area," half of Europe and Russia was next.

"And the ruffians who attacked us?"

"That we do not know," she admitted. "They appear anyplace that doesn't have a unit. But we do have some conflicting reports that they appear in this part of the world rather frequently. "The United States flashed one more time.

"A pity I was hoping to start with them first." Smoothing out some of his fur he said, "I know it appears unbecoming of a gentleman darling, but those savages ran us out of our house."

"I know dear," she patted his hand. "I did work out a battle plan I think you will approve of. I locked in the coordinates for the two main units. So we target those two first. The third we can lock onto once we reach firing range."

"Excellent Darling, just excellent," he kissed her on the top of the head. "Although I think we should target the orbital station as well. Just in case they gave it a bite as well. You can never tell with these so called officers of the law."

"Wise as always dear."

* * *

What a difference a day made. It took Rev a little while to learn to concentrate enough on keeping his antennas steady but he did. He was amazed the answer was so simple that he didn't even consider it. At the moment he was following Dan in a Zero G version of follow the leader, flying through blue holographic rings. Dan curled up and somersaulted forward so his feet would hit the wall. He only stopped long enough to get a fix on the next ring and push off. Rev repeated the maneuver. His trajectory was off a bit as he went through the ring itself. Dan grimaced as he saw it change from blue to red. He didn't have time to dwell on it as he headed for the next ring. Before long he grabbed a rail on top of a platform near the ceiling and hit the button on the wall. Rev joined him a moment later doing the same. Dan looked down, out of twenty rings three of them were red. "I think you passed Rev."

"I believe I did," he said as gravity returned. They slapped hands as the platform started to descend.

"Who taught you to do a high five? Well high three in your case."

"Michelle showed me after I originally arrived at OpsBase," he said looking at his hand. "The gesture never seemed appropriate until now."

Before the platform hit the ground floor the other were already there to greet them. Ace jumped on and hugged Rev around the neck, "I knew you could do it Rev."

"Way to go buddy," Boomer told him.

"Great job Rev," Target added.

The celebration ended as soon as the doors opened and the Commander walked in flanked by a couple of his men. They immediately got in line and stood at attention. "At ease," he said as he walked over. "It looks like the weak link of the team got a little stronger." Walking over toward Dan he said a little softer, "And might I add a fine way to get around that bureaucratic rule."

"I'm sure I don't know what the Commander is talking about," Dan said not betraying a thing. Mynx walked away chuckling.

"It's my pleasure to announce that all of you have passed stage one. Stage two will take you into some more advanced tactic." Snapping his fingers his men walked forward carrying what looked like a mockup of their backpack, but modified to be a little bigger and had orange dots of various sizes in different places. "Stage one taught you how to operate in Zero G conditions. Stage two will teach how to do that with a little extra propulsion. As well as some strategies in how to use that knowledge in combat. Is that clear?"

"Sir yes sir!"

"Just what I wanted to hear. Grab your gear because stage two begins now."

* * *

It had been a week, their deadline and they didn't hear anything. Pierce tried not to let his anxiety show as he hovered around the Control Room. He nearly jumped out of his skin as Michelle's console beeped, "SpaceBase sensors are picking up an unscheduled vessel jumping into the system in between Earth and Mars." All of them have been jumpy all day whenever they alert went off. "Downloading sensor reading from that sector now." The distance made the download take longer than usual and she was getting irritated. "Come on, come on, come on." Finally she got the reading. "Profile is too large to be them." The "them" being their absent team mates. "Profile fits an Iczian battle cruiser."

"Get me Meng Yeow and Gyoc Row," Pierce told her. After a moment their images appeared on the screen. "Just a heads up we have a possible positive sensor hit. ETA is," he looked at Michelle's screen, "roughly twenty five to thirty minutes."

"We'll do what can" Row said. "I'm still not sure if we can get the robos into space in time with these thrusters but we'll do what we can."

An alarm went off, Michelle quickly went back to the readings. "We have a new sensor profile," she announced. "Smaller vessels have broken away from the larger one. I'm picking up a hundred and counting.""

"Fighters," Pierce said. "Apparently they learned a new trick."

"That's a new wrinkle," Meng Yeow said, "we weren't expecting. We were going to have a hard enough time with the battle cruiser."

"If we're going to go down them let's go down fighting," Row told them. "I already contacted the SpaceBase and the Jets. They should be able to stop some of that fleet."

"Fighters are approaching fast," Michelle announced. "They'll be here in under ten minutes." She was quiet for a second. "What the hell? Sensors are registering explosions going through the fighter's formation."

"Get those ships back in formation!" the Captain shouted through the controls. "What is causing those ships to explode?"

"I told them they should have more test on those contraption," the male said to his wife. "They should have never left those ships leave the yard. Whoever approved of this should be flogged!"

"Now now dear," she said while rubbing his arm, "there's no need to heat yourself so. So what if a few ships malfunctioned. We have more than enough to weaken and tie up their defenses while we get into position."

"As always darling you are right," he squeezed her hand. "That was nothing more than a bump in the road."

What nobody was seeing was what was causing those ships to explode. A cloaked vessel was flying through the metal icicle like ships firing it's blaster at anything in it's path. That craft quickly broke through the field and headed for the Iczian ship. Ignoring the disc the craft headed for one of the still open hangers, landing in it before it sealed itself off. A shimmer effect was the only thing that betrayed it's presence as the pilot exited.

* * *

The Major silently watched the fleet of dots quickly came closer. He should have brought Helen here. At least that way he would have known she would have been momentarily safe. "New ship incoming," Michelle said. "It's coming up behind the Iczian ship. We're getting an incoming transmission, it's on an SPD frequency."

"Put it on," he ordered immediately.

Dan voice came through the speakers, "Hope you didn't start the party without us?"

Neither of them was so glad to hear anybody in their life. "Can you not cut it so close?", the Major told him.

"Now where's the fun is that?", Dan asked. "We'll get back in contact after it's over." Signaling for Boomer to cut the transmission he looked at the data they were receiving. "Slight change of plans," he told them. "We're going to thin out that herd a bit first."

"Works for me," Ace said as she pushed a lever foreword and the Machine Tiger jumped foreword.

"What the blazes?", the Iczian Captain said as the new vessel shot past them.

The black and white ship quickly caught up to the rear of the fighter who did nothing to acknowledge their presence. "There's no transmission coming from the ships," Boomer said.

"Sensor indicates crystalline based pilots," Rev announced.

"Then I won't feel bad about this," Dan stated. "Lock on."

"Locks acquired," Target said as multiple green lights highlighted her screen.

"Fire!", four panels, two above the wings and two below, opened up. A split second later four missiles shot out. A few seconds later the missiles split apart firing off eight missiles each that took a sizable chunk of the fleet.

"That got their attention," Boomer chimed as he started to pick several transmissions from the remaining fighters. Ace punched the engines to go faster as Target changed weapons as a pair of blaster emerged from the wings. They made a path through the fighters as Ace avoided the return fire and debris floating around. A couple of Iczian fighters made their way behind the Tiger. Target hit a switched and a torrent lowered from the hull. It quickly turned around locking onto the fighters destroying them.

"You're friend loaded this thing for bear," Target told Dan.

He smiled, "I like to think he gave it claws."

"Clearing the field," Ace announced as they past the fighters. Running ahead of them she banked the ship tightly to the left and headed back in. Target quickly got another lock and fired off another round of missiles as they made their way back through. Ace saw the reading in front of her and quickly corkscrewed the ship out of the way as two Iczian ships crashed into each other. "Is it bad I think I'm cheating on the Shepard?", she asked nobody in particular.

"Fifty-five to sixty percent of the Iczian fleet has been neutralized," Target said. "Are we going to take out some more with another run?"

Dan really wanted to, but their primary adjective was getting closer to firing range. "It's going to have to do," he said. "The units planet side have a better shot now. We'll leave it to them while we take on the main ship." Still firing the blasters the Tiger punched through the field again and headed for the Iczian ship. A few lasers were fired at them but Ace easily dodged them. She flew past he ship before turning around and matching their flight path. Flying close to the hull Ace turned the ship on it's side and matched their speed. Carefully she placed the bottom of the Tiger hull to the other ship and magnet clamps reached out and attached to the Iczian hull bringing both crafts tight together.

"Machine Tiger is secured," she announced. "We're ready to begin boarding procedures."

"Right," Dan said as he unlatched himself from his chair and floated toward the boarding hatch and the only spot of gravity on the ship. The others did the same and reached for their OpsLicense. "Change standby."

On the Iczian ship Crystaline started to come out of the elevators and headed for the sector the enemy craft landed. They stood by as the white wall suddenly had two red dots that quickly burned a rectangular shape into it. A small explosion blew the section into the hallway, smashing some of the Crystalines in the process but they started reforming soon after. "Emergency! DekaOps!" A quick digital flash and five individuals in Dekasuits rushed in.

"Man I hate these things," Boomer said as he pointed his D-Shooter at a Crystalines.

"Mow them down," Dan ordered. They headed in direction of the engine room Rev and Ace smashed them with their D-Rods as fast as they could. Boomer and Target fired away with their D-Shooters.

"Just like shooting fish in a barrel," Target quipped.

"Except these fish come back," Boomer told her.

Dan found himself surrounded as he kicked one Crystaline into another and unlatched his D-Shot. Priming a shot he quickly turned around and blasted through another one. Kicking the head off another one something whizzed past his head. Looking back he saw a familiar looking knife sticking out of a Crystaline's face. He shot it and quickly looked back. For a brief moment he thought he saw something shimmer as it turned around a corner. "What's he doing here?"

"Savages!" he was so upset his wife couldn't even calm him down. "Captain activate defense protocol."

"At once sir," he quickly isolated the sector they were in and activated the command sequence.

The lights in the hallway turned red. At the same time the Crystalines feet started to change and cling to the grating on the floor. "Looks like that's our cue," Dan said. They drew their License and raised them above their heads. Pressing the button in-between the lights the faceplate popped open revealing the black badge inside, "EXO mode!"

In the red digital field Dan lowered the OpsLicense and held it right in front of him. A grid came from the badge that quickly covered him. The grid started to change, expanding into a new shape. Dekametal came from the digital field and starting filling in the grid with black armor plating round his hand, feet arms, legs and torso. Two rocket like devises appeared on his backpack while smaller ones appeared in his shoulder armor and on his waist. On the lower half of his helmet a breathing device appeared going up to the lights on the sides. A red one burned into the left side of his chest. He slotted the License into the right side of his chest, "Ops1 locked in!"

In the blue digital field Target lowered the OpsLicense and held it right in front of her. A grid came from the badge that quickly covered her. The grid started to change, expanding into a new shape. Dekametal came from the digital field and starting filling in the grid with black armor plating round her hand, feet arms, legs and torso. Two rocket like devises appeared on her backpack while smaller ones appeared in her shoulder armor and on her waist. On the lower half of her helmet a breathing device appeared going up to the lights on the sides. A blue two burned into the left side of her chest. She slotted the License into the right side of her chest, "Ops2 locked in!"

In the Green digital field Rev lowered the OpsLicense and held it right in front of him. A grid came from the badge that quickly covered him. The grid started to change, expanding into a new shape. Dekametal came from the digital field and starting filling in the grid with black armor plating round his hand, feet arms, legs and torso. Two rocket like devises appeared on his backpack while smaller ones appeared in his shoulder armor and on his waist. On the lower half of his helmet a breathing device appeared going up to the lights on the sides. A green three burned into the left side of his chest. He slotted the License into the right side of his chest, "Ops3 locked in!"

In the yellow digital field Boomer lowered the OpsLicense and held it right in front of him. A grid came from the badge that quickly covered him. The grid started to change, expanding into a new shape. Dekametal came from the digital field and starting filling in the grid with black armor plating round his hand, feet arms, legs and torso. Two rocket like devises appeared on his backpack while smaller ones appeared in his shoulder armor and on his waist. On the lower half of his helmet a breathing device appeared going up to the lights on the sides. A yellow four burned into the left side of his chest. He slotted the License into the right side of his chest, "Ops4 locked in!"

In the pink digital field Ace lowered the OpsLicense and held it right in front of her. A grid came from the badge that quickly covered her. The grid started to change, expanding into a new shape. Dekametal came from the digital field and starting filling in the grid with black armor plating round her hand, feet arms, legs and torso. Two rocket like devises appeared on her backpack while smaller ones appeared in her shoulder armor and on her waist. On the lower half of her helmet a breathing device appeared going up to the lights on the sides. A pink five burned into the left side of her chest. She slotted the License into the right side of her chest, "Ops5 locked in!"

"Special Police DekaOps!" Dan floated there slightly with Ace and Rev on his left and Target and Boomer on his right. Pointing a finger at the Crystalines Dan gave one command, "Do it!" The jets on his backpack came to life and shot him foreword. He crossed his arms in front of him and smashed through the Crystalines. A quick mental command caused the smaller jets to turn him around and brought him to a stop as he aimed his D-Shot. Magnets in his boots stuck him to him floor as he fired at the reforming creatures. "Now if they only gave us something that would keep them down."

Ace and Target used those magnet boots to run up the wall and down the hallway blasting Crystalines with their D-Shooters. Ace was grimacing behind her helmet as she said with each shot, "I! Really! Hate! These! Fucking! Bastards!" Both of them jumped and headed for the other wall as they continued to fire. At Ace command they slotted their OpsLicense into the D-Shots and took aim. "Strikeout!" Twin blue beams shattered the crystalline in it's path. A crackling sound signaled they were reforming.

"How did you keep these things down last time?" Target asked.

"Blind luck," Ace admitted.

Boomer and Rev were doing things the old fashion way as they smashed the Crystalines directly. Getting fed up with this Boomer reached into his back and pulled out a small disc with a small metal spike on one side. With an angry grunt he slammed it into the nearest Crystaline's chest. It beeped before for a moment before steam started coming from the contact point. In moments the creature was a puddle floating in the air. Boomer watched as absolutely nothing happened. "Yes! It's staying down!"

"Do you have enough of those devises to take care of the rest of them Robert?", Rev asked.

"Thank you for killing my buzz."

"Get to the engine room," Dan ordered. "These things are just wasting our time. A display in their helmets showed them the location of the largest power source and they headed for it at full speed, Smashing through any Crystalines that tried to stop them. They hit gravity and none of them lost a step as they continued on. Crystalines still tried to stop them but they barely paused long enough to confront them. They found a sealed door blocking their way, "Boomer."

"On it," he quickly placed some charges around the door and blew it open. Dan and Target secured the opening first before waving the others in.

"Again with the destruction of private property," They looked around and saw the Iczian came in from a separate direction. "Oh your outer layer is different may be different but you are the ruffians from before, of that I have no doubt. Captain if you will."

He hit a panel and more Crystalines started to come out of the Ice panel surrounding the room. Target took quick aim and fired several shots at the panel. The Crystalines stopped moving, with some getting stuck halfway in the ice. "You never should have showed me that," she told them.

"Ruffian!" he roared. "Leave before I contact your so called superiors. They told you to leave us be."

"They did give you a free pass last time," Dan said removing the License from the slot. "It was a one time deal. Target orders!" The area went dark as a red X and a blue circle flashed between them. After a minute the red X shined. "Eliminate target!"

"You savages wouldn't dare!"

"Watch us. D-Cannons!" Reaching back with their left hand on of the jets split open revealing a bazooka like devise the raised up. Lowering the barrels they aimed them at the Iczian. "Sight up." a targeting reticle appeared on their visor turning green when it landed on the Iczians. "Strikeout!" Energy traveled from the OpsLicense through the chest armor and into the D-Cannon. Five massive blue energy beams shot out and deleted the Iczians immediately. "Got you."

Boomer wasted no time in setting charges around the engine room. "We got ten minutes to get the hell out of here. I set the charges to explode in case anything tries to tamper with them."

"Right let's get going," Dan said. The trip back to the Tiger was more or less uneventful outside of the occasional Cyrstaline they came across. Listening to that voice in the back of his head Dan pulled his D-Colt and aimed it down a connecting corridor. Chatrox materialized into view. "I knew it was you."

"Is this any way to greet somebody who helped you human?", he sneered.

"Why are you here?"

"Don't get the wrong idea human," he walked into the hallway they were in. The barrel of the D-Colt tracked him the entire time. "I am simply following orders. It would be bad for business for me and several of my associates if we had to relocate to another planet. Credits would be lost and more credits would be spent in restarting operations. I did it for my profit margin and nothing more." Dan never took the Colt off of him. "I did save you human, or did you forget that with your shiny new suit."

Slowly he took the D-Colt away from him, "I'm not deleting you, we're even." Chatrox nodded and turned away fading from view again. Dan stood there kicking himself.

"Cap you're going to let him go?", Target asked. "Just like that?"

"We're on the clock," he said more to convince himself than the others. Deep down he really didn't want that lizard holding something over him. "But I'm not trusting him. Target, watch our backs. Ace…"

"I'm already checking the readout for the Tiger," she said looking over a pad she took from her pack. "Reading are all green." When they got the entry point she stopped and nearly dropped the pad. "That son of a bitch." The boarding hatch was closed and wielded shut.

"Sorry Ace," Dan began, "but Boomer crack it open."

"Won't that damage the integrity of the ship?", Rev asked.

"I rather take our chances out there than in here," Dan told him.

* * *

Several minutes went by and the Iczian ship started to started to fluctuate as the Machine Tiger finally freed itself from the hull. Then the engines and the rest of the ship exploded. The fighters stopped and drifted in space. Planet side the few Crystalines that were able to get to the ground suddenly stopped, crumbled and quickly melted. In places like Singapore DekaYellow cautiously tapped a puddle she was just fighting with her foot. She looked over to DekaRed who just shrugged, "That special strike Sir was talking about must have worked."

"We're getting reports from all over the planet," Michelle said. "Iczian forces are stopping and making a very wet mess." The Major could hear the concern in her voice. He was feeling it too. They still haven't heard from them.

"Looks like we won," he said but he wasn't feeling it, he didn't want to think about the possible cost for this one. "Come on guys," he whispered, "I didn't think you were going to let us down before don't disappoint me now."

Almost like he was heard they got an incoming signal, "Machine Tiger to OpsBase."

"Yes!", Michelle jumped up and hugged him around the neck.

"You going to give this old man a heart attack and your girlfriend is going to kill all five of you."

"The explosion messed with our communication for a few moments," he explained. "And we had to blow our way into the ship and that caused more damage. Long story short we got a heavily wounded bird and Command is going to be pissed."

"I'll gladly take the heat Command throws this way," Pierce told him. "Are you going to need any assistance?"

"Ace thinks she can limp her back to the orbital station but it's going to be close."

"Understood, Command has a small support staff waiting just in case. I'll see you when you get back. OpsBase out."

"Major I have incoming transmissions from both Meng Yeow and Gyoc Row," Michelle said.

"Give me a minute to compose myself," he told her. "I'm ashamed to say I was starting to think I wouldn't get the chance to make up for how I misled them." She nodded and made up a quick excuse. He leaned against the railing. He knew his people were good, now he'd get the chance to tell them.


	32. Chapter 32

Special Police DekaOps

31

Michelle stared out the window on the command deck. Around her OpsStation personnel were busy making sure all systems were operating properly. She barely paid them any attention, she was transfixed on the Earth slowly spinning below them. Michelle had seen images of this before, in news report, in magazines, online and the like. But seeing it in person took her breath away. Noticing Dan's reflection in the window she took his hand. He gave her a quick squeeze while they looked at the planet below. "It reminds me when I came back from my original training," he said. "It's still an amazing sight."

"It's beautiful," she commented. They continued looking out before turning away.

"I still can't believe we get to keep this place," Dan said looking around the command deck. Although part of him still couldn't shake that feeling of being watched he had when they were first tested.

"Command wants to make sure we're properly prepared in case we're attacked again," Michelle reminded him. "How did the Major put it? They got the training they might as well have all the toys that go along with it. Did you take the tour yet?"

"Just got done with it," he said. "It's way more impressive than my first trip up here. It has all the things OpsBase has plus a Zero G training room."

"We don't want those new skills getting rusty now do we?", she grinned. Leaving the command deck they walked the hall until they found an elevator to take them to the barrack deck. "So how is the duty rotation going to work with this?"

"The Major wants at least one of us up here a couple of times a week," he answered as the doors opened. They took a left and headed for the field team barracks. "Two if we can manage it. We're getting a couple of specialty shuttle pods that's suppose to travel between here and OpsBase in under twenty minutes." Saluting a couple of crew members as they passed he continued. "Although we might be seeing a little less of Ace for the immediate future. She's been studying everything she can get her hands on concerning the Machine Tiger systems. She's planning to supervise the repairs herself."

"Poor bastards," she said thinking of the repair crew aboard. "At least you don't have to worry about getting a request form for part upgrades."

"The Major is really thankful for that," Dan said with a grin. "According to him she's planning on coming up two or three times a week to supervise the Tiger's regular maintenance."

"Ace better bring along a couple of her regular crew otherwise these guys are not going to know what hit them."

"She is." They stopped in the middle of the barracks. Like at OpsBase six doors, three on either side of the hallway, waited to be occupied. "Despite the fact our time here is going to be limited the Major wants us to pick out our own quarters in case some of us pull a night shift. Since we're senior staff we get first pick."

"How are you two doing anyway?", she asked. "After that surprise test he said you were pissed."

"We talked, worked things out," was all he said. "We're fine now. Having to wait a week before having that conversation helped things a lot. I was a lot calmer than what I would have been."

"Good," she said. "I'd hate to think I'd be visiting you in the brig." Dan rolled his eyes but said nothing. Looking at the doors she said, "Since we get first pick maybe we can get a room next to each other."

Slowly he said, "Or maybe we can pick the same quarters." Turning around Michelle looked at him. "I mean officially we'd have to have separate quarters, make it look like everything is being used and such."

"That's sort of a big step," she told him.

"I know," he agreed, "but I'm either sleeping in your quarters or you're sleeping in mine. I thought why not make it official." Suddenly feeling unsure of himself Dan went, "Unless you don't want to."

"Actually I love the idea," she said wrapping her arms around his waist. "It could be like our own private get away. As long as we juggle the schedules around. So how do we pick?"

"How did you pick back at OpsBase?"

"I just went with the first empty room I went into."

"Like this?", reaching back Dan hit the button that opened the door behind him. Michelle squealed as he grabbed and pulled her into the room.

* * *

Several sonic showers a day and Chatrox still felt dirty. He still couldn't believe he assisted Stevens, much less SPD. He doubted he'd feel totally clean again. Although the sizable fee the Bosses awarded him for the task almost made up for it. He had enough to live off of for a long, long time. Not that he took a vacation afterwards, no there were clients to take care of. New avenues of business to exploit. Not to mention something in his gut told him Stevens and his accursed black badge unit survived his little "present" he left them on the Iczian ship. No he wouldn't believe it until he saw a body. Even then he'd demand DNA verification. Chatrox was not going to leave until that particular human was no more.

Putting his cloak back on his personal Igadroid stepped forward, "You are getting an incoming transmission."

"Who is it?"

"The transmission indicates that it is Xyon Agent Chatrox."

Chatrox snorted in disgust. It was one of his newer clients, and he was almost as bad as the humans, almost. He toyed with the idea of having the call mysteriously dropped. But there were so many times he could blame a sudden burst of cosmic interference. Walking, slowly, to his receiver he accepted the transmission. This was going to be extremely painful. "Greetings Xyon," he said with false pleasantries, "I see the cosmos is clear today."

An image of a stout, reddish skinned being appeared before him. In fact Chatrox would privately say he was as wide as he was tall. "Apparently," the image said. His body language said he was annoyed with waiting so long. The Agent knew he had to tread carefully. An unhappy client was not a good thing, no matter how annoying he was.

"What do you need today?", he asked. "I have several specialties items in stock as you know."

"You have nothing I need today," Xyon informed him. Keeping his expression neutral Chatrox wondered why this fool was wasting his time. "On the other hand I have something you might be interested in."

Unless it was Steven's current location he sincerely doubted it. Although his curiosity was piqued, "And what might that be?"

"A complete set of Centurion Class Battle armor." Chatrox jaw nearly dropped as he double checked to make sure the line was secure. Only one planet manufactured that class of Armor, Dextal. On that planet the armor was only used by the guards of the Royal Family. Not that mattered, but the material it was made from was a different story. A pound of it was worth a small fortune on the black market. A whole suit, well a smart person could purchase his own system. "So are you interested?"

"Are you sure this is legitimate?", Chatrox asked trying hard to keep his voice even. More than once somebody had tried to pass off a fake. Because of the nature and rarity of the material in most cases that person was never seen from again.

"Of course I'm sure," Xyon looked insulted. "You can test it out for yourself if you don't think I'm right."

"I plan to, I'll meet you in a few hours at the usual location." Chatrox ended the transmission before Xyon could say anything else. "Igadroid, get the Myon scanner and prepare my ship for launch." It did as ordered without another word. Chatrox wouldn't have heard it if it did say anything. He was going over his client list in his head. More specifically those looking to buy items such as this, if it was real that is and how many of them who could actually afford it.

* * *

Cloaked from view the Machine Shepard headed for Texas. A little earlier SPD Earth Command was contacted by a representative of the Dextal high court. This person was trailing a stolen suit of armor for a couple of systems now. She was able to trace it this far but requested some assistance seeing how she wasn't familiar with earth customs and protocols. Naturally they called them in because the representative wanted to keep this as quiet as possible. After a short flight Ace set the Shepard down in an abandon quarry. Exiting the ship Dan looked around not seeing anything. "Stevens to OpsBase."

"OpsBase here," Michelle answered.

"We're at the coordinates but I'm not seeing the envoy," Dan said. "Rev couldn't even pick out her life signs."

"Give her time Dan," The Major told him. "She might be a little gun shy. From what I understand this is her first time on Earth, so play nice."

"I won't start anything if she doesn't, Stevens out."

"So how long to we wait?", Ace asked as he put his License away.

"Until Base calls us back," he answered.

"Which hopefully will not be any time soon." All of them whipped around, hands on their SP-Shooter at the new voice. Wearing a plain brown jumpsuit a female stood there with her hand s open and sleeves rolled up. Emerald eyes stared at them while long white hair framed her pale blue face. Both sides sized each other up before making a move. Lowering her arms she continued, "It was not my intention to startle you. My name is Drilian, I am a Fourth Level Knight of the Dextal Royal Family."

"Fourth level?", Rev said with some amazement.

"You heard of them?", Target asked.

"Not much," he said, "but I do know that to reach the rank of Fourth Level Knight is a rare accomplishment for someone so young."

"You honor me," she said with a slight bow. "If I may be so bold, but you are a black badge unit, are you not?"

"You heard of us?", Boomer asked.

"Some of your compatriots assisted us several of your months ago," she informed them. "Although from the rumors of their existence I doubted I would ever see one in the flesh."

Dan nodded, "I'm guessing if they sent you it must be pretty important."

Drilian told him, "It is although it may not seem that way to you at first." Opening one of the pockets of the jumpsuit she reviled a holo disc. Placing it on a rock an image of a suit of armor hovered above it. "This is a suit of Centurion Class Battle Armor. More importantly it is the armor of our King. I am ashamed to say it was stolen under my very nose by a very resourceful thief. He was resourceful until I caught up with him that is."

"And he got rid of it before you caught up him?" Dan asked, getting a feeling he knew where this was going. Drilian nodded in shame. "This is a hell of a long way to drag a trophy."

"It's more than that Cap," Target spoke up. "I didn't recognize the name of the planet until she mentioned the armor class. The alloy of the suit is super rare. The black market price alone is astronomical in some place."

"You're comrade is correct," Drilian said. "The fact it was stolen was already a slap to the face. The very idea it could be dissected and sold off to the highest bidder, we would not be able to overcome that kind of embarrassment."

"Do you know where the suit is now?", Dan asked her.

"Unfortunately the armor has traded hands several times," she answered. "I should consider myself fortunate it was dissected and sold off by now. From what I have been able to gather the armor was given to a Troblin named Xyon." She touched the controls of the holo disc and a wide, squat reddish creature appeared. "To my knowledge the armor was given to him in exchange in payment for a shipment of Koradone."

"A priceless alloy as payment for some drugs?", Target asked in disbelief.

"The previous 'owner' of the suit was not aware of it's worth," Drilian explained. "His mind was so far gone when I found him I was lucky to get this out of him."

"Do you have a way to track Xyon before he bolts," Dan asked.

"Xyon no," she said. "But I can locate the suit if I can get close enough to it. We have a scanner that can detect the alloy before we dig. I was able to adapt a smaller unit for my search."

"Target, you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I think I am Cap," she answered. "I can hook the scanner into the Shepard's sensors. I should be able to widen the search radius."

"You have my eternal thanks."

"Thank us after we get the armor back," Dan told her.

* * *

It didn't take long for Target and Ace to hook Drilian's scanner into the Shepard's system. But there was a computer language barrier that delayed them a bit until Boomer and Michelle were able to solve it. Still cloaked and flying low they quickly settled on a search grid. Drilian hovered over Target's shoulder as her eyes remained glued on the sensor screen. "So," Target said feeling a bit uncomfortable, "how did you avoid popping up on our sensor scans?"

"As a Fourth Level Knight I am trained to lower my life readings until they appear to be nonexistent," she explained. "It was a skill that was difficult to master at first, it is still difficult to perform at times. Even those older and wiser than myself have said so."

"And you only attain that skill after you prove yourself worthy of attaining the forth level," Rev said to Dan. "I believe her story is truthful Captain."

Glancing at them she asked, "You doubted I was who I said I was?"

"We're retrieving a suit or armor that's damn near priceless," Dan said. "I'd be suspecting my own mother at this point. After we couldn't detect any electronic gear or electrical field around you, outside of the holo disc, we just needed that bit of info to know for sure."

"I would have gone the same," she said with a nod. "It is good to know I am not dealing with fools."

"Well four out of five isn't bad," Ace said.

"Oh ha-ha," Boomer said realizing that was directed at him.

"I'm getting a hit," Target announced.

Drilian attention returned to the screen, "That is the alloy signature. I can't see an exact location from this altitude. We need to get lower."

"We get any lower and we might as well be right on top of them," Ace argued.

"Target," Dan said to get out of this argument before it began, "download the sensor data to a couple of hand scanners. We'll take the Hounds and get a lock on the position from the ground. Boomer you're with me."

"Right," Boomer said getting out of his seat.

"Here they are," Target held them out as they passed. In the cargo area each jumped into a hole in either side of the hold. Settling in both announced they were ready.

"Approaching hot drop height and speed," Ace announced. "Hot dropping in three… two… one," they braced for it, "now!" The floor beneath them dropped away the Machine Hounds dropped to the ground. As soon as they made contact Dan and Boomer headed off in different directions. The Scanner in Dan's hand started to beep faster the closer he got to the armor. When it started to get slower he stopped and held the scanner behind him.

"We got the armor pinpointed," Target told him.

"Send us the coordinates," Dan ordered. He had them in a matter of moments and turned the Hound around. He rode until he could see a compound of tents in the distance. Pulling out a set of binoculars he tried to get a look of the layout. "I see Xyon," he announced. "One tent in particular looks heavily guarded. Chances are if he still has the armor it's in there."

"I see it," Ace said.

"Captain Stevens," Drilian cut in, "it is paramount we secure that location as soon as possible."

"We'll secure it Drilian," Dan assured her. "We just need to plan this out."

"Cap," Boomer said over the line, "check out three o'clock."

Dan scanned the area until he saw what Boomer was talking about. A figure wearing a cloak was walking toward the tent. Xyon went to greet him. Although the newcomer's features were obscured he could see reptilian skin underneath the hood. "Why am I not surprised."

* * *

"This way Agent Chatrox," Xyon waddled toward the Batsuroid covered tent. "It's in here."

"I never would have guessed," he sneered.

"The accommodations ain't much but it gets the job done." A couple of Batsuroids stepped as they entered the tent. Chatrox inhaled sharply as he saw the armor. Laying in a crate the dull grey metal was accented by a gold inlay and several jewels. His hand hovered over the armor almost itching in anticipation, one of the jewels alone looked like it would be worth a king's ransom. "So do you believe it's the real deal now?"

"I'll find out soon enough." Taking out the scanner he had with him he ran it over the suit. The results came back positive. His heart stated beating faster. "Now I believe."

"So what are you going to pay me?"

"I'm not the one who's going to do the paying," Chatrox told him. Xyon sputtered for a response. After tiring of hearing it he informed him, "But I will assist you in selling it to the highest bidder. I already have a couple of buyers in mind. It's just a matter of how much they are willing to pay for it. Or exactly how much of it they are willing to purchase." He started walking round the crate taking holopictures. "You are going to be an extremely rich man."

"Really now?", Xyon asked. The tone in his voice put Chatrox on alert. "So why do I need you then?" Chatrox spun around and put the tip of his dagger at the Troblin's throat before he could draw the blaster on his hip. He pressed it against his skin just hard enough for him to feel it, "Urk."

"Because you buffoon I have the contacts who can afford such an item." Putting a little more pressure against his skin he made the rotund little annoyance back up. "Now because you tried that little stunt I'm going to raise my seller's fee to forty percent of your take."

"F… Forty?", he sputtered as he backed up against a table.

"I could go as high as fifty," he threatened, "if not higher."

"Forty's good," he squeaked.

"Fine," the Agent said removing the dagger. "I'll finish taking pictures then I'll return to my ship and send them to the buyers. Then we'll let the bidding commence."

He stopped counting the credits rolling in his head when he heard something that sounded like a gunshot outside. Xyon went to the tent opening and saw one of his Batsuroid on the ground with a hole through it's blue head. On a hill not far away Target lined up another shot with her sniper rifle and quickly dropped another one. "We are under attack," proclaimed a third right before it's head sparked as well.

"What the slag?", Xyon said before the roar of the Hounds engines cut him off. Dan and Boomer fired the Hound's laser at the bots in their way as they raced around the compound. Their Dekasuits provided the protection from any return fire. "You're not taking my suit!", Xyon shouted firing away.

"I challenge that claim," Drilian said as she snuck up behind him. Before he could turn around she grabbed his wrist and flipped him to the ground with a bit of effort. Ace and Rev took care of a couple of Batsuroids that were trying to sneak up behind her. "My thanks for watching my back."

"Our pleasure," Ace said. More Batsuroids surrounded them. "I think I spoke too soon." She and Rev had their Dekasuits, but Fourth Level Knight or not Drilian was pretty much unprotected. Thinking quick Ace handed her the D-Rod. "You used one of these before right?"

A sly smile graced her lips, "I believe I've handled something similar to this before." She charged the Batsuroids before Ace and Rev said anything. They got off a couple of shots but Drilian was attacking the bots something fierce. Her figure had found the button that activated the energy field around the rod. A pink glow followed her arm as she slashed, hacked and jabbed at the Batsuroids. Ace and Rev stared in amazement as the last one fell to the ground defeated.

"Impressive," Rev managed to get out.

"I'm afraid I must apologize," she said handing the D-Rod back to Ace. "I rarely get an opportunity to utilize my training to its fullest. Facing the mechanicals I saw an opportunity to, I believe the phrase on your planet is to cut loose."

"Not a problem," Ace told her. "You ever thought about joining SPD?"

"Yes," Rev agreed, "your skills would be most valuable."

"You flatter me," Drilian said with a blush. "Unfortunately my duty and loyalty is to my King and my planet."

"Our loss then," Ace said. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Xyon try to crawl away. "Oh no you don't." She and Rev quickly got in his way. He sputtered as he tried to speak. "Tell it to the License. Target orders." The area went dark as the red X and blue circle flashed between them. After the scan was over the circle shined. "Apprehend target. Rev if you would?"

"Of course Trish," he removed the D-Whoppers from his belt and slapped them around Xyon's wrist.

"Drilian, somehow I get the feeling he's going home with you," Ace commented.

She gave him a dangerous grin that made him cower, "I certainly hope so."

Dan and Boomer pulled up a moment later. "Camp's clear," Dan said. "Let's secure the armor." Drilian didn't need to hear another word as she headed for the tent. Dan was in right behind her and immediately drew his D-Colt. The others came in doing the same with their D-Shooters. Chatrox stood by the armor holding a cylinder over it in his right hand. "Step away from the armor Chatrox," Dan ordered.

"This," he calmly said, "is a disintegration grenade. This is the pin for said grenade," it dangled from a finger on his left hand. "If I drop the grenade in a matter of seconds this suit will be vaporize into atoms."

"Do not dare villain," Drilian demanded, but she hardly allowed herself to breath.

"I won't as long as I'm allowed to leave unharmed." Dan glanced over to Boomer for confirmation about the grenade. He nodded slowly, cursing under his breath he ordered for them to lower their weapons. Chatrox backed away until he was out of the tent. Dan bolted after him as soon as he did and looked around. The Agent was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit," he cursed and grabbed his License, "Target did you see where the Agent went?"

"He faded from view the moment he exited," she answered. "I'm sorry Cap but I have no idea where he went."

He wanted to swear again but he already knew her answer before she even said anything. "It's not your fault Target, he's a tricky son of a bitch. Keep an eye out for anything vaporizing suddenly. He should be somewhere in that area." Returning to the tent Drilian was eyeing the armor carefully. "Is it still in one piece?"

"It is," she answered, "thanks the heavens above. You have my thanks and appreciation for getting it back Captain Stevens."

"Now we'll take it, and we're just doing our job."

* * *

Drilain guarded the armor at OpsBase until they received word from her home planet that they were ready to transport the suit back. The Machine Tiger made the final leg of the journey from OpsStation to the Dextal royal ship. It softly landed in the hanger with several rows of soldiers and workers waiting for them. Drilian exited the Tiger accompanied by the Major, Dan and Ace as a couple of techs carefully guided the armor down the ramp. A Dextal stepped forward in regal robes and a silver crown on top of his head Drilian immediately went to a knee and bowed her head. Dan motion for him and Ace to do the same. "My Lord," Drilian said with reverence, "my task is complete. My only fault is I did not return it to you sooner."

"Arise Fourth Knight Drilian," he said, "and knights of Earth as well." Getting back up to their feet he continued, "Time has no meaning to the cosmos Drilian. I am grateful the armor was returned and that you have come back to us." Drilian nodded and took her place beside him. "Major Pierce, your knights have my gratitude and eternal appreciation. I am aware the armor has monetary value elsewhere in the galaxy. But it has been in my family for generations. It value to me is greatly more."

"It's our pleasure to return the suit to you your majesty," the Major said with a slight bow of his head.

"Hey let me go!", Xyon demanded as he was dragged out of the Tiger. "I got my rights!", he continued screaming as the soldiers took him from the techs and out of the hanger.

"Ah him," the King said. "His punishment will not be as severe as if he took the armor himself. But it will be appropriate." Looking over to Dan he mentioned, "Captain Stevens I am a mild acquaintance of a Commander in your organization named Trytan. Although he did not go into details he did mention he was highly impressed with a group of humans from Earth. It appears the praise was well earned."

"We were just doing what was asked of us," He told him.

"You do you and your organization proud Captain. Now I do not want to appear rude but I am anxious to return the armor home. Major, I wish you and your knights good travels."

"Good Travels to you as well your majesty." Dan and Drilian exchanged nods before both sides parted ways.

Aboard the Tiger Ace was warming up the engines with a smirk. Finally she said, "He called us knights." She waved her hand in the air, "Lady Patricia Fieldman, I like the sound of that. Are female knights referred to as 'lady'?"

"I'm not sure," the Major told her taking Dan seat, "but if you guys are the knights I guess that makes me the king." He leaned back looking smug.

Propping an elbow on the back of the chair Dan said, "Well you Lordship, before you let that go to your head I've been keeping a couple of stories under my belt. And they might accidently come out if the trip home becomes unbearable."

Losing his smugness Pierce asked, "So what's the ETA back home?"


	33. Chapter 33

Special Police Dekaops

32

The sun made the ocean around them look like polished glass the waters was so calm. The wake from their boat was the only thing disrupting the effect. A few hastily attached patches hid the SPD logo that would have signaled who they were. Like always they weren't real big on announcing their presence. Dan stood on the deck of a disguised Machine Swordfish and looked around him. "How close are we to the coordinates?", he called back to the cabin.

"Start slowing down now," Micelle called out while she stood at a table. A holographic map on it displayed their location in real time. An X in the middle marked their destination. Ace nodded and started to slow them down.

"I'm not getting anything on sensors yet," Target said a Dan entered the cabin. "They were right about the interference in this area, it's playing havoc with the readings. It's a perfect spot alright."

"Is there anything from the research station?", he asked looking at Boomer. Shaking his head in the negative he went back to listening. "Nothing at all?"

"I'm not even getting a location beacon," he said.

"Are we assuming worse case scenario?", Ace asked.

"Not yet," he said going over to the map. "It just might be equipment failure at this point."

"I really hate to point out," Ace continued, "the reason why we're out here might be the reason why they're having equipment failure."

"I'm trying not to assume the worst," he told her. And it was real easy to do that at this moment. Three hours ago the orbital sensors net received a hit on an incoming object. Various stations tracked it as it crashed into the ocean. They probably wouldn't have even been called out here if it wasn't for two things. One, the object appeared to slow down and change direction right before it made the plunge into the water. And two, it landed very near to an underwater research station. It was a joint operation by earth scientists and some of the galactic scientific community to find a new source of energy. Apparently Earth's 'backwater' status, as well as this particular area, made it the ideal hiding space for the project. And that station hadn't been heard from since the splashdown.

Michelle went to work first trying to see if the object was adding to the local interference. Then the decision was made to send them in. The Major got into contact with Meng Yeow and secured the use of one of the Swordfish they had docked. Which brought them to the here and now.

"I don't want to go in gun blazes," Dan continued, "if all this object took out was their communication system."

"Which pretty much means we're wasting our time if it did," Ace commented.

"Hey if worse comes to worse we just took Rev on his first deep diving trip," Boomer chimed in.

"And I'm sure Command will love to hear that," Ace said.

"It's better to be safe than sorry," Rev said as he sat in the corner and studied the manuals of the equipment they would be using to get to the station.

"I know," Ace admitted, "I just hate going in blind."

"I thought that's what you guys did best," Michelle smirked. "Ok we're there." Ace brought them to a complete stop and dropped anchor to keep them in place. "I'm not reading any extra radiation or interference."

"Send a message to the station," Dan told Boomer. "See if they respond to that."

"You got it," Boomer said. "Research Station Tango this is SPD Swordfish Four, over." Waiting a few moments he repeated the message.

"Target, launch a sensor probe," Dan ordered after a few minutes.

"Rodger," she complied. "Probe away." Michelle manipulated the holomap so they could see the sensor reading. It wasn't long before they were seeing the sensor outline of the station dome itself.

Michelle brought up a holoimage of the station and superimposed it the sensor reading. "The comm. antenna is located on top of the dome," she said pointing out the three spires with several satellite dishes. "We're not getting a sensor hit on that."

"Was it torn off by the object?", Rev said as he joined them at the table.

"I can't say," she said. "The damage is too irregular based on the readings."

"Is there any sort of damage to the dome itself?", Dan asked. That was his biggest fear at the moment, that whatever the object was hit the dome and caused catastrophic failure to the structure.

"I can't tell from these readings," Michelle said. "Target can you get the probe closer?"

"Yeah give me a moment," she said. The dome's image started to get closer then it disappeared completely. "What the hell?", she exclaimed.

"What happened?", Dan demanded.

"We lost contact with the probe," she said. "I'm not sure what caused it."

"We're going to find out," he said. "Suit up, we're heading down there."

* * *

In no time the five of them were dressed in wetsuits, each wearing one similar colors to their Dekasuits. The gathered at the aft of the ship and helped each other with their SCUBA gear. "I sent the Major a message about what's going on," Michelle said as she stood by. "He said to remind you to stay in constant contact with the Swordfish."

"Me and Michelle ran some simulations on the Licenses," Boomer told them. "Every test says we shouldn't have a problem but we won't know for sure until we have to be in that situation that will need them."

"Right," Dan said. "Keep your eyes open for anything. But don't fire at anything until you're sure of intent." Dan fingered the specialty designed SP-Shooter strapped to his hip. It was suppose to be able to fire underwater but it hadn't been tested in field conditions yet. The same went with the rest of their equipment if they had to activate the suits. Lowering the goggles and putting the facemask over his mouth Dan sat on the edge and fell backwards into the water. The station was reachable by swimming underwater so they didn't need any specialized deep diving equipment. But they were using some underwater sleds Michelle put in earlier to get there faster. The others were in right after, Boomer deciding to do a cannonball dive. "Worse than a four year old."

"Target," Ace called out. She promptly punched him in the arm the moment he popped up. He complained for a moment before a look from Dan shut him up.

"Let's get going," Dan ordered. Activating the sleds they headed for the station. Ready for an early attack he was caught off guard when he saw Rev thrashing around. Boomer and Ace were able to grab his arms and with some effort they were able to win to the surface. Dan and Target followed them up.

"What's going on?" Michelle asked leaning over the railing.

"Rev what happened?", Dan asked swimming over.

"I… I am not sure," he said still sounding panicky.

"Breath Rev breath," Ace said trying to get him to calm down.

"I felt an overwhelming feeling of dread," he explained after getting himself under control. "I was not feeling it before we went under and I am not feeling it now. I can't explain it but I let the fear get to me." Dan looked at the other but they said they didn't feel anything, neither did he.

"Do you want to give it another go?", Boomer asked him. Rev nodded. They went under again, this time the others kept an eye on him. He got a little deeper this time but it happened again. Surfacing again Rev smacked the water in frustration. "Easy there Rev, there's no need to lose your cool."

"I know Robert but this has never happen to me before. I thought concentrating on my antenna would help but it did not."

"Rev," Michelle called out looking thoughtful, "Your planet's pretty barren right? There hardly any water anywhere?"

"That is correct Michelle," he said. "The bodies of water we do have are considered sacred and are not to be entered by anyone."

"So you've never been underwater before?" He shook his head in the negative.

Target seemed to know what she was going, "You think Rev has a phobia of being underwater?"

"It fits," Michelle said. "My late husband didn't know he had a fear of flying until we were on the plane heading to our honeymoon."

"Rev I want you to sit this one out," Dan told him.

Rev protested, "Captain I can do my duty."

"Rev until we know for sure it'll be better if you stayed topside with Michelle."

"I understand Captain," Rev said as he headed for the Swordfish.

"It's nothing personal Rev," Dan said following him for a bit. "But until we know for sure…"

"You do not need the distraction," he finished for him.

"There's another wetsuit below deck," Michelle said. "I can throw it on real quick."

"No, we can do it with four," Dan told her.

"Ok," she said. "Maybe I convince Rev to sit at the controls while I work on my tan," she joked. Dan shot her a look. "Wow, you really are all business on the job aren't you?"

"Let's go guys," Dan said and they dove underwater one more time.

Rev removed the SCUBA gear and sat there on the bench sullen as his antenna drooped. "Rev it happens," Michelle said trying to comfort him. "If I know Dan he's going to try and help you beat this as soon as the mission over."

"I know but I feel as if I let them down."

"Rev you didn't know," she told him. "Look at it this way, now you can keep me some company because it was going to be as boring as hell up here by myself." He grunted but he didn't look convinced.

* * *

Dan hated to do it but he had to do what was best for the team and the mission. He tried not to dwell on it but damn it he hated leaving an able bodied man behind. He was so caught up in it he almost didn't notice there was no ocean life anywhere. This was bad, there should have been a school of fish or two swimming around at least. Ace tapped his arm and pointed ahead of them, the dome was in sight. It was mainly gunmetal gray with the occasional window of pressure resistant glass scattered about to give the inhabitants a view of the outside. Stopping the sled he pressed his fingers around his neck and activated the throat mike, "Swordfish four come in."

"I'm here Dan," Michelle said after a moment, "what's the situation?"

"I'm seeing scorch marks on the outside of the dome form here. I'm not really seeing a hatch on this side though."

"Be careful Dan, whatever made those marks might have taken out the probe."

"Understood," he called back.

"Cap," Boomer cut in, "eight o'clock and down." Dan looked down and to his left and saw a group of Anaroids come at them. Each had a pack on their packs on their backs that propelled them foreword and all carried some kind of underwater rifle. The bots took aim and started firing. They drew their SP-Shooters and started firing at the bots and avoiding the shots. Boomer stopped firing and held his hand to his ear. "Cap I'm getting an incoming transmission."

"I'm hearing it," he grunted while trying to avoid the energy bolts coming at him. "Michelle see if you can figure out what the voice is saying."

"On it," she answered. Before long she pulled up the transmission they were getting.

"The voice is telling you to head toward airlock seventeen," Rev said after a moment.

"Where's that?", Ace demanded.

"I'm pulling up a schematic," Michelle said as her fingers danced over the controls. "Found it. The airlock is right in front of you. It should be the first door you see as you approach the dome."

Target got a little closer to the dome as she avoided the fire, "I think I see it."

"Head for it!", Dan ordered. The pushed the sleds to full speed and raced for the dome. This went against everything his gut was telling him but now was not the time to find out if the OpsLicenses would work under water or not. They fired behind themselves every so often to keep the bots from getting a clear shot at them. About three quarters of the way there the exterior hatch of the airlock started to open. Willing the sleds to go faster they entered the dome. Inside Dan and the other turned around and started firing at will at the Anaroids to keep them at bay until the door closed.

When it did there was clanking sound as the pumps kicked in and drained the water out. When it was gun they took off the face mask and goggles as the interior doors started to open. A couple of scientist wearing light gray jumpsuits and whit lab coats looked grateful to see them. One, an Orion with blue skin, white hair and these antenna looking things on his head, stepped forward, "Dr. Sauron, and I am very glad to see you."

"Captain Dan Stevens, SPD," he said extending a hand. "I hate to sound rude but what the hell is going on?"

"Something I should have kept quiet about," Sauron admitted. "Or at least I should have only told some of the few people I know I can trust completely. I assume you're aware of our work down here?"

"Yeah you're trying to come up with some alternate energy sources," Ace said.

"That was the goal, and still is," the doctor said. "Unfortunately with science you occasionally discover something you never intended to find."

"So what did you find?", Dan asked.

"I'm sorry to admit that during one experiment we accidently discovered a way to counterfeit Latinum."

"How good a quality?", Dan asked afraid of the answer. Latinum was one of the more stable currencies in the galaxy. One of the reasons why was the makeup was so unique it was nearly impossible to reproduce. And those who tried ended up with a substance that was often worth less than the materials it was made from.

"Nearly perfect I'm sorry to say. Unless you know what to look for it's almost identical to the real thing."

"And then you went and told the wrong person," Ace said figuring out where this was going.

Sauron nodded, "The Tranvian I shared a lab with. Funny enough he was the one who convinced me to be quiet about it in the first place. Then we caught him making unauthorized transmissions a couple of days ago."

"Where's the Tranvain now?" Dan asked.

"After we discovered him he became violent. We were able to subdue him and lock him in a supply cloest."

"Ace, Boomer secure the Tranvian," Dan ordered.

"Rodger," she replied before asking a couple of the scientist to show them the way.

"I'm guessing the welcoming committee we encountered was the result of that call," Target said.

"I'm afraid so. They came without warning s they say. They took out the antenna first so we couldn't call for help. We were able to jury rig an emergency transmitter out of some spare parts, but the range is very limited."

"Doesn't this place have a back up transmitter?", she asked.

"We did," he answered. "It's were we found my former lab mate. He was able to damage it beyond repair before we could stop him."

"So the next question is," Dan said, "was who did he call?"

"A relative of his," Sauron answered, "well that's the best we could get out of him. He stopped speaking basic and started yelling at us in his own tongue as soon as we locked him into the closest. And none of us here is exactly fluent in his language."

"Attention scientist," a gravelly voice said over the loudspeakers. "This is your final warning. Surrender my cousin and the Latinum maker. I repeat this is your final warning." An electronic squeal later the transmission was over.

"The relative I'm assuming," Dan said.

"You would be correct," Sauron answered. "He's been doing that every twenty minutes or so. Although the final part is new."

"He might be ready to make his move," Dan said, thinking out loud. "Do you have any idea where he might be coming from?"

"There's been a lot of activity on the west side of the dome," one of the others said. "It looks like they're building something."

* * *

"Say cheese," Boomer said as he held his License at the window and took a scan. On the other side of the window, illuminated by the station lights and some external lights of it's own, was a structure that was about quarter the size of a standard space cruiser. The nose was a concave plate with a device that looked a bit like a hatch. Anaroids hovered around it while a being in a deep diving suit pointed and gave directions. Boomer took another scan when he turned around and looked in their direction, his face lighted by the interior lights of the helmet. "I'm sending the images to you Michelle."

"I got them," she said after a moment. "I'm running the ring leader's image through the database now."

"I recognize that vehicle," Rev said over the line. "I believe that is what they call a 'Hull Cracker'. They were originally used in ship deconstruction yards, but pirates have found a way to modify the technology to raid the space lanes."

"And you thought you weren't going to be useful on the mission," Michelle said with a grin.

"So the dude out there is a pirate?", Boomer asked.

"And he seeing an unlimited supply of treasure just in his grasp," Dan said. "I'm guessing he had a hard time getting the cutting devices to work underwater, that's why he was giving out warnings. We got to stop that thing before he gets going."

"I have an ID on the pirate," Michelle announced. "He's known as Greeneye, because he has one green eye apparently. The database doesn't have a real name. The Tranvian government doesn't like to give out the names of it's citizens to the authorities for some reason. He relatively new from the look of things."

Dan watched the Anaroids float out there. "Michelle I need you to run a couple of simulations for me."

"Do you want to know how long it will take that thing to pierce the dome?", she asked.

"Not exactly," he replied. "I think it's time to jump straight to plan B."

* * *

"I swear you Deka are crazy," Saron said as he followed them to the nearest airlock. "You're going to head out there and face that thing. And your SCUBA gear is in the other airlock."

"We're not going to need it," Dan told him.

"I worked on the transmitter you built," Boomer said. "We should be able to talk to you now but the range isn't much better. But we're going to tell you when it's safe to come out and help get some replacement gear."

"And you have my eternal thanks but…"

"Dr. Sauraon we have a job to do," Dan told him when they reached the airlock. "Now once the interior hatch closes I need you and the others to go deeper inside the station and into you're the most secure area you have. We'll let you know when it's safe to come out."

"I understand Captain," he reluctantly said. Once they entered the airlock Sauron hit the switch the closed the interior hatch, "Good luck."

"Thanks," Dan told him. In moments the door sealed shut with a hiss and water started to be pumped inside. Facing the exterior hatch they took their OpsLicense from behind their backs, "Change standby."

"I hope this works," Ace commented.

"So do I," Dan told her. "Emergency! DekaOps!" With a quick digital flash the Dekametal formed around them and into their suits. Raising their hands above their head they hit the button one more time, "EXO mode!"

Standing in a digital field they lowered their License and held it in front of them. A grid came from the badge that ran up their arm and covered their bodies. The grid started to expand and change shape as Dekametal came from the field and started filling it in, forming black armor plating on the bodies. Rockets appeared on their backs a breathing device formed on the lower half of their helmets. A colored number burned into the left side of their chest and the attached the Licenses into a slot on the right.

"Ops1 locked in."

"Ops2 locked in."

"Ops4 locked in."

"Ops5 locked in."

The exterior hatched opened after the airlock filled all the way. The four of them stood there for a moment. A few of the Anaroids saw the hatch open up and headed in their direction. By the Hull Cracker Greeneye watched and sent a few more to help with the assault. "Our main target's the Cracker," Dan said. "We have to disable that thing before it can get to the station. Go!" The main rockets on their back came to life and they flew out of the hatch. Boomer and Target shot straight through the Anaroids as Dan and Ace maneuvered to the sides. Drawing his D-Colt he fired at some Anaroids that turned to follow Boomer and Target. A couple of them started to swarm around him. Flipping a switch with his thumb he fired again. He didn't exactly get the desired effect. He was able to back away from a group tackle at the last second, "What a time to find out the Multishot doesn't work underwater." So he punched the closest bot in the face instead.

Ace was having better luck with her D-Rod. The water bubbles slightly around the pink glow of the energy field as she cut through the Anaroids. Zigging and Zagging through the bots with ease she slashed away. Seeing a large group coming at her she headed straight for the middle. With her arm outstretched corkscrewed through them. The bots sparked in several places as the D-Rod hit them repeatedly. Ace took a moment to admire what she'd done and smile to herself, "Gotta love it."

"You have any idea how we're suppose to stop that thing?" Target asked as they broke through the Anaroid field.

"We put some explosives on that hatch on the plate and blow it to make it usless."

"Won't that damage the environment around here?", she said while quickly turning around and took out a couple of Anaroids on their tail. "We don't even know what's on the other side of that door."

"It's better than my other plan of flooding the reactor core. Who know how leaky that thing is."

"Good point. You set the charges I'll cover you."

"Works for me." Boomer shot ahead as target slowed down. D-Shooter in hand she picked her shots as the Anaroids came near. Boomer took the opening she gave him to place a few underwater charges he had with him on the hatch and the cutter assembly around it. Setting the last charge he activated the timer and shot out of there. Target saw him leave and joined him. A few seconds later the charges blew the hatch was ripped open and the cutters around it were destroyed.

"Bastards!", Greeneye shouted as he gave chase. In his right hand an energy blade sparked to life.

"Shit he's got a sword," Boomer cried out as he looked down.

"No you don't!", Dan said as he and Ace intercepted him mid flight. Greneye tried to swing his blade at them in retaliation. Ace backed away while Dan used the secondary jets on his shoulders and waist to avoid the slashes.

"Bastard stay still!", he demanded getting frustrated.

"Yeah like that's going to happen," Ace told him as she came in with a kick to the gut. He surprised her with a slash right at her head. Dan was able to block it with his D-Rod. Ace grabbed him and started spinning round while keeping a grip on his diving suit. Letting go Greeneye swore loudly as he tumbled toward the Cracker. A dull thud could be heard through the water as he crashed into it.

Heading for the Cracker themselves they used the magna boots to secure themselves to the hull. Removing his License from the slot Dan switched it to Judge and held it before him, "Target orders." A red X and blue circle started to flash between them. Before long the red x shined. "Eliminate target." Greeneye activate the pack on his back and tried to get out of there. " D-Cannons." Reaching behind their heads the left rocket pod open revealing the bazooka like weapon. Grabbing the handle they pulled it down over their shoulder. "Sight up," a targeting reticule in their visor turned green when it locked onto him. "Strikeout!" Firing two massive beams Greeneye was deleted. "Got you."

"That seemed easier than usual," Ace commented.

"Say that after we finish off the rest of the bots," Dan told her.

* * *

"What's the mission status?", the Major asked over the comm. link.

"The problem has been taken care of," Michelle told him. "Dan thought it would be a good idea to hang around and help clean the area of Anaroid bits." He nodded. "Boomer also checked out the Cracker while they were down there. He and Ace thinks they can salvage the communication gear and hook it up so the scientist can use it until their replacement gear arrives."

Again he nodded, "Sounds good to me. Is the Tranvian who brought them there in custody?"

"He's currently secured in the hold below deck," she answered.

"Excellent. So what's the ETA for all of that?"

"The Anaroid clean up is currently underway and Ace estimates it would take a couple of hours to get the comm. gear out and put into the station."

"Alright I'll see you when you get back. OpsBase out."

As the image faded away Target stepped toward her. "The scientists are helping with the clean up so that's almost done. And Ace said it would take about thirty minutes, forty-five tops."

"It's a gorgeous day and you're complaining about a little extra free time." Getting up she grabbed a full body towel and put on a pair of sunglasses. "Now if you'll excuse me I have a tan that I need to work on."

"Don't let it be said I didn't try to fit in," Target said following her out.

In the ocean Rev held onto a raft filled with various robot parts. Dan came up and threw an arm onto the pile. "I think that's about it," he said lowering the facemask.

"I wish I was of more help Captain," Rev said. "I thought I could handle this particular assignment."

"Small steps Rev," Dan told him as he grabbed the raft. "Everybody afraid of something and you can't conquer your fears overnight. Trust me I know."

"I'm surprised you have any fears at all," Rev commented. "I've rarely seen you bat an eye on any assignment we've been on."

"Yeah well I do."

"May I ask what that is?"

Dan looked unsure at first. Then he looked around before leaning in, whispering, "Escalators." He tried to explain when Rev just looked at him. "I don't know what it is. I've never been hurt on one. I don't even know anybody hurt by one. But they just freak me the fuck out. When I was younger it would take me a good five minutes just to set a foot on one."

"And now?"

"I'm a little better than what I was, although I'll still hesitate a little before I do. But honestly if I have a choice I'm taking the stairs or the elevator." He pointed a finger at him, "And this stays between you and me, am I clear Rev?"

"Perfectly Captain."

"Good, I'd never hear the end of it if Boomer found out. Come on, let's get this load to the Swordfish."

"Should I mention now that Trish is planning on replacing the entrance ramp of the Shepard with such a device?"

"That ain't funny Rev," Dan quickly said. Rev just smiled behind his back.


	34. Chapter 34

Special Police DekaOps

33

She wasn't sure how he was pulling it off but Michelle was always glad when she and Dan could get some time alone away from base. Especially on a day like today. The sun was shining, the weather was pleasant. It was the perfect day to do nothing but walk around town. Of course she'd stop every so often when something in a store window caught her eye. Depending on what it was Dan would either join her or say something real fast and just hang back until she was done. There as a bit of an awkward moment when they passed a jewelry store and she caught him staring at the engagement rings that were on display. Both of them looked at each then quickly continued on to the next store. "How was you talk with Barry last night?", she asked.

"You know," he answered, "just a couple of army buddies just exchanging stories."

"I bet your stories were a little more exciting," she teased.

"Eh, we're just shooting the bull."

"I still can't believe he caught you using your License."

"You're the one who called me," he told her. "At least I could stop lying about what I'm doing now. At least to Barry, I don't know if he's told Paula yet. They still want us over for dinner by the way."

"The moment you can clear our schedule," she joked. "Or at least convince command to ease up on the computer or criminal updates."

"You're going to have to talk to the Alienizers about that one." The jewelry store long forgotten they kept talking until they came noticed a commotion across the street. Dan went on the alert almost immediately looking for any sign of trouble. Then they noticed the TV cameras and a particularly loud jacket. Dan immediately went from alert to annoyed in record time, "I thought he left town."

"He did," Michelle said. "I guess he weaseled his way back in." The 'he' in question was one John McGee, 'reporter' for the tabloid television show Inside Extra. Not to mention the self proclaimed hunter of the mystery Deka unit. "Last I heard they pulled him from the story because he was racking up a fortune on the show's credit line. On top of that he wanted to put out a reward for any footage of you guys."

"How much?", Dan asked.

"From the rumors I heard, a half a mil." Dan whistled. "That was the last I heard of him until now."

"It wasn't long enough."

"Hey you!", they looked around until they saw a fat with a headset around his neck wave at them.

"Keep going maybe he'll go away," Dan mumbled. To his dismay the man chased after them.

"Hey wait up," he said getting in front of them. "I'm the producer on this segment. Would you guys like to be on TV?"

"No thanks," Dan quickly told him. "We're in a hurry…"

"Phil what's the hold up?", McGee demanded as he stormed over with a cameraman following him. "Those jackasses only gave us a couple of days in this crap town. We can't afford to waste time with the twits."

"I'm trying to talk them into being interviewed," Phil said. McGee attitude changed immediately.

"Jerry set up right here."

"Really we don't have the…," about then Dan noticed Michelle had separated herself from the pack. She shrugged as he looked at her. "I really don't have the time."

"Of course you do," McGee said. "You'll be on television and you'll be famous with all your friends." The camera guy said they were filming and McGee looked into the lens. "This is John McGee doing man on the street interviews. Today we're asking the everyman their comments about the mysterious Deka unit. Considered to be a myth or an urban legend sightings of this unit has been more and more frequent and widespread as of late. With me is…," he looked over at Dan.

"Steve," he lied.

"Steve, now Steve SPD has supposedly been upfront with everything but rumors of this unit still persist. Now what do you make of this highly suspicious situation?"

"The more Deka the better," he said. That stunned McGee enough for him to get away. Michelle held back a bit just to see what McGee would do before heading after him. "I am so going to get you back for that," Dan told her.

"You or 'Steve'," she teased.

* * *

In his office Dan tried to get that day's paperwork done. After awhile he figured Ace must be satisfied with how the Machine Tiger was progressing because he found five request forms for parts for the Machine Shepard mixed into his daily reports. Looking at the one in his hand he said, "I really didn't miss seeing these." Putting it with the others he went over the rest of the reports. Then he found a sixth. About then the Major walked in and saw it in his hand. He turned around to walk back out the door but Dan stopped him, "Is there something I can do for you sir?"

"Ace has been making up for lost time," he said. Dan wasn't amused. "I just got word from the locals. People have been turning up missing, almost like they've been abducted into the sky."

"Do they have any proof of that?", Dan asked.

"Nothing concrete," he answered. "Just various reports of people being there one moment and gone the next. It's happening often enough that it popped up on our radar. I thought it would e a good idea to check it out in case there is some Alienizer involvement."

"The job would be easier if McGee wasn't in town," Dan said. "He's going to be all over it if he heard about it."

"Michelle told me he was back in town," Pierce said. "Well all I can tell you is avoid him if you can. We don't have any contacts in Inside Extra so I can't do anything if he gets any footage of you."

"We'll do what we can," Dan said. He just happened to glance down at the remaining paperwork and saw a familiar looking piece of paper sticking out. Before the Major could get up he pulled out a seventh request form and held it in front of him. "Now about these little extras you're sneaking into my pile."

"I love to stay and chat but I'm expecting a call from Helen," Pierce said as he got out of there as fast as his bad leg could take him.

"I'm not done talking about this.

"I'm done listening," The Major said as he exited the office.

After the door closed Dan muttered, "I am going to talk Michelle into doing things on top of your desk."

* * *

"I knew it was a good idea to come back," McGee said. In his hand was a police file he was able to get from an officer in need of a little extra cash. In motel room he was sharing with Phil and Jerry he leaned back on the bed and stretched out. "These disappearances are just what the doctor ordered. That Deka unit has to come out for this one."

"They better," Phil said from the desk in the room. "I had to sweat talk Terri into giving this amount of time. And she only agreed to that because I said we'd pay for our own expenses."

"That's not in my contract," McGee told him. "My expenses are paid for by the show."

"Within reason," he reminded him. "We wasted so much time here last time they're reevaluating your credit line."

"I'm their number one guy, they're not going to do anything."

"You were their number one guy. You hunted this phantom unit for so long the stories you usually got went to the others. Your star is starting to fall, quickly from what I'm hearing."

"Don't you worry," McGee said. "All of that is going to change as soon as we get those bastards on film. They are going to be on their hands and knees begging for forgiveness."

"It must be great living in your fantasy world," Phil told him.

"Just do your job," McGee snapped, "and be grateful if I consider taking you with me. After I break this all of the networks are going to want a piece of me."

* * *

"Anything?", Ace asked Target. She answered with a head shake. Cap had told them what was going on in the city with the disappearances. Given the circumstances both Rev and Michelle theorized that a transporter of some sort might be being used to nab the victims. So Cap had them split up and go over the places people were being reported disappearing from. The working theory was that if it was a transporter there'd be some stray energy readings at the site. She couldn't say anything about Cap and the others but so far they were getting zip.

"Maybe this thing is broken," Target offered. Ace doubted it, they calibrated that scanner before they left. Not getting anything from here they headed for the next location. Thinking out loud Target said, "Maybe these guys are using a cloaking field or something."

"I thought that at first too," Ace said, "but a cloaking field needs a lot of power. And the less moving parts the better. A captive would be trying to get away so you'd see an outline while the field was trying to compensate."

"Well it was a thought," Target said.

"But," Ace continued, "from what I understand a Transporter needs a lot of power too. So there has to be some sort of emitter somewhere. I can't see whoever it is just trying to grab people blind."

"Michelle already checked that," she told her. "There hasn't been any noticeable spike on the power grid anywhere. And a hand held unit is too unstable and the range isn't that great."

"Which leads me to a possible third option."

"A cloaked ship with a transporter?", Target finished for her.

"Right in one," Ace said. "It would have to have a massive engine to support both. And an engine would leave some kind of trail."

"The scanner in Target's pocket beeped. "We got a hit. I'm running it through the database back at OpsBase now."

"Ops5 to Ops1," Ace spoke into her License.

"Stevens here, go."

"We might have a hit. Target is doing an analysis now."

"OpsBase here," Michelle called in. "Sorry to cut into the conversation but I got a hit on that reading Target just sent in. It is a transporter field energy signature. Unfortunately it's one used by several different species so it's going to be hard to narrow down."

"Is there any way to track that energy signature?" Dan asked.

"Not unless it's in use," she told him. "I had the same problem with Waven's transporter remember."

"I was kind of out of it for most of that one," Dan reminded her.

"Well it's the best I can do at this point is to use this to find the other spots people have been taken from. That way we can find out their preferred hunting ground."

"Michelle," Ace spoke up, "see if you can pick up any stray energy trails above those spots while you're at it."

"You got an idea Ace?", Dan asked.

"Just a flimsy hunch at this point."

"It's better than what I got at the moment. Michelle can you do it?"

"I'm checking now," she responded. "I'm picking up some faint reading across the area but nothing I can pinpoint right now."

"I hate to say it," Dan said, "but we might have to wait until somebody else gets grabbed."

"I really hope it doesn't come to that," Ace told him.

"So do I Ace, Stevens out."

"He might be right," Target said as she closed her License.

"I know," Ace admitted, "but the idea just sucks." Target nodded in agreement as they continued down the street.

* * *

"Hey I think I know that dweeb," McGee said from the backseat as he pointed toward a blond haired man in a bomber jacket. The car was going too fast for him to get a good look at the guy with him in the green hoodie. But the other guy in the Laker gear was hard to miss.

"I think that's the guy you tried to interview yesterday," Phil said trying to get a good look.

"Oh yeah him, how did that dweeb get on the broadcast? He made me look like an idiot."

"We were able to get a grand total of five people on film," Phil told him. "We needed him to keep the segment running the length Terri wanted."

"I swear nobody wants to be on television anymore," McGee moaned. "Damn internet."

"Well we got time for a few more location shots before we got to leave tomorrow."

"Now wait a damn second Phil," McGee said nearly jumping out of the backseat. "Who said we're leaving tomorrow?"

"This is all the time I was able to get," Phil reminded him for the umpteenth time. "Terri wants the camera back by tomorrow night. I'm sorry John but it's the end of the road for this one."

"God damn bitch is trying to ruin me," McGee fumed. "Let's get those damn shots done with. I got some words for her when I get back."

"Oh I can't wait for that performance," Phil dryly said. There Jerry stopped the car and they piled out. McGee got into position and waited and waited and waited.

"What's the hell is the hold up?" McGee demanded.

"This damn antique they set us up with," He answered. "It won't come on."

"Oh for the love of…," McGee tore it out of his hands, "Give it here Jerry. " Pounding on power button he grunted, "Work you stupid piece of…" Then he disappeared.

"Oh boy," Phil murmured

McGee found himself on a ship surrounded by people in glass tubes. Some were scared while others were pleading for help. He looked in front of him to see a robot with a spiky head come at him. First he said, "Shit," and then he did it.

* * *

Michelle station started to go off as they got a new energy reading from the transporter. Getting that location she checked the area for that energy trail Ace was talking about and found it. More importantly she could track it. "OpsBase to Ops1, we got this one on sensors and are currently tracking their energy trail."

"Good work Michelle. Keep tracking it until it lands. If we're lucky we can get them with their pants down."

"OpsBase out," Michelle said. Looking at the blip on her screen all she could say was, "Sorry they had to nab you, whoever you are." A bit later she got the police report on the kidnapping, the victim was one John McGee. "Maybe I'm not that sorry."

* * *

With Michelle tracking the energy trail Dan and his group headed for the spot Ace said they'd picked them up with the jeep. Of course part of him really wanted to turn around and head home when he found out who the latest victim was. But he told himself he had a job to do and that he was a little more concerned about the previous victims. "OpsBase to Ops1."

"What is it Michelle?", Dan answered.

"The energy trail landed at an old refinery about a mile outside of town."

"I know where it is," Boomer said. "Lisa's Uncle used to work there."

"Right," Dan said. "Keep an eye on that place Michelle, let us know if it takes off again."

"You got it, OpsBase out."

"Tell me how to get there Boomer," Ace told him. Traffic seemed to going against them but they finally got there. Fortunately whoever it was didn't leave the refinery yet. Finding a hole in the fence Dan had them search for an area big enough to fit Ace's idea at how big the ship would have to be. They found it pretty fast, in fact the ship was uncloaked and they were currently unloading their "cargo", humans in containment tubes.

"Hurry up and get them out," An Igadroid ordered to the Anaroids unloading the ship. "The ship needs to be refueled afterwards before we can do another run." While he was barking orders a fish like alien walked up behind him, a respirator like device around the gill like slits on his neck.

With a gurglely like voice it asked, "All is going well?"

"For the most part," the Igadroid said. At his command two Anaroids struggled to get McGee, who was still clutching the camera, out of the ship. "This one has proven to be more problematic than the others."

Fishman looked him over, "He looks weak for the slave trade, and too old. Eliminate him."

"Now wait a minute," McGee said after finding his voice. "I'm with the press damn it, you can't get rid of me."

Fishman looked at him with those huge eyes, "Eliminate him immediately."

"I know I'm going to regret this," Dan muttered while taking out his License. "Change standby. Emergency! DekaOps!" McGee started cowering away from Fishman and the Igadroid while one of the Anaroids went down. The three of them looked over to see a female figure in a blue and black Dekasuit take aim and drop another one as four more were charging the group.

"I knew it," McGee said as he started working on the camera in his hands.

"Ace, Rev," Dan ordered, "get those people out of those tubes, Boomer, Target provide cover fire."

"Rodger," the four answered.

"Stop them!" Fishman ordered. The Igadroid lead the counter charge as both group met. Target ran behind Boomer. He stopped and she leaped up and jumped off his shoulder. Above the Anaroids she fired at will before landing. Boomer tackled one of the two Anaroids that tried to surround her while she swept the leg out from the other one.

"This is great stuff," McGee said after he got the camera working. He was drooling at the footage he was getting. That bitch would bend over backwards to keep him happy now.

Ace and Rev made their way to the closest tube after getting past the Anaroids. The woman inside was pounding on the glass begging them to get her out. "I hope you got an idea on how to crack this thing," Ace told him.

"I am familiar with the device," he answered. "It was originally a medical aid…"

"Can you open it?", Ace cut him off. She didn't want to be rude but they didn't have time for a history lesson in a middle of a fight. Without another word Rev reached for the base and hit something. A moment later a previous invisible seam opened up. "Rev I love you."

"You have my humble appreciation Trish."

The woman rushed out and hugged Rev around the neck, "Thank you thank you thank you!"

"Human interest," McGee said as he recorded the moment, "who cares." He proceeded to point the lens elsewhere.

Dan was having a harder time with this Igadroid. This one was obviously programmed to fight hand to hand. In fact it was barely giving him any time to react. Stay on the defensive Dan was slowly being pushed back. Finally he was able to fool the AI by moving in a way it didn't count on. He used that moment to draw his D-Colt but the Igadroid grabbed his wrist. "Uh," Dan grunted as the pressure increased. Eventually his hand opened and he dropped the gun. The Igadroid punched him, Dan spun with it his hand going for his pack. As he fell he pulled out his holdout D-Shooter and fired twice. Both bullets penetrated the Igadroid's head. It stood there for a moment before falling back.

"I'm going to get an Emmy, a Peabody, a Pulitzer. Hell they're going to have to invent an award for this."

Fishman came at Dan with a crowbar in his hands. Boomer cut him off giving Target just enough time to shot it out of his hand. Not wasting anytime Dan whipped out his OpsLicense and switched it to Judge, "Target orders." The area around them went dark as a red X and blue circle flashed between them until only the X remained. "Eliminate target." The three of them locked their License into their D-Shots and took aim, "Strikeout!" And Fishman was no more, "Got you."

"I'm never going to have to work again!", McGee exclaimed. A little too loudly because they looked right at him, "Shit."

Before he could run out of there with the camera Boomer caught up with him and took it out of his hands, "Wow this is old. Whoa who crapped their pants?"

"Hey!", McGee protested while trying to get it back.

Opening it up he took out the film inside," Hey Cap, an actual cassette."

Over McGee's protest he tossed to Dan who promptly started pulling the tape out of it. "We're doing pretty good in this spot right here," he said pretending to study the film as McGee dropped to his knees.

As he started pulling it out faster Target commented, "It's starting to pick up here."

"Did he get my good side?", Boomer asked.

"You don't have a good side," Ace shot at him.

Wrapping the film around the cassette Dan looked at McGee and said, "This might have made your career." Then he tossed it into the air. Target destroyed it with a couple of shots. "Oops… my bad."

"You enjoyed that," Target quipped.

Smiling behind his helmet Dan just said," Boomer, Target watch him. Ace finish getting those people out of there. Rev, you and me are checking out that building he came out of to see if they are any more captives in there. And we got to find out if he shipped anybody off planet yet." McGee stared at the remains of the tape crying like a baby.

* * *

A couple of days later the team was relaxing in the rec room. Unfortunately Fishman was able to get some people off world. But thanks to the D-Hacks Michelle was able to get into his computer and find out where. As of now the other Ops teams were working on that so hopefully they'll all be home soon. Michelle found out McGee was on permanent reassignment after losing the camera, apparently he was covering dog shows now. And that just made Dan happy.

While they relaxed Michelle came in all excited, "I almost forgot to tell you guys. I recorded Dan's debut on Inside Extra." She picked up the remote before he could stop her and brought it up.

"I don't want to see this," Dan complained. The others started cheering and whistling when his face appeared. "Look that's not even me it says the guy's name is Steve."

"Oh be quiet and enjoy it 'Steve'," Michelle said as she massaged his shoulders.

They watched and hollered again when he said, "The more Deka the better." The image froze there.

"Are all of you happy now?", Dan asked.

"Cap that was brilliant," Boomer told him.

"A true moment of excellence," Target said before starting to laugh.

"Hey what's that?" Ace asked. By his head a word balloon started to form. Michelle froze.

Dan squirmed a bit under her grip, "Michelle you're digging into my shoulders."

"I didn't think it recorded this," she let him go and started to back away toward the door. Dan's jaw fell to the floor as the words "I am Michelle Chavez's sex slave" appeared inside it.

"Ooooo," Boomer said looking at her.

Target shook her head in disbelief, "Wow". Rev just looked at it, head tilted in confusion.

"You're dead," Ace told her.

Not taking his eyes off the screen Dan slowly said, "Michelle".

Still backing up toward the door she answered, "Yes love of my life who has a wonderful sense of humor and wouldn't harm a hair on my head."

"Yeah it's not my head I'd be worried about," Ace smirked.

"Shut up," she quickly snapped.

Dan finished with a, "You have a five second head start."

"Eep," she squeaked and ran out the door. Dan sat there and slowly counted to five before getting up and jumping over the couch to give chase.

Rev tried to stop him, "Captain…" Ace got in his way as Dan ran out the door. "Why did you stop me?"

"Did you see that smile on his face?", she asked him. "He's not going hurt her. Trust me."

A few seconds later they heard Michelle cry out, "Hey no fair you're tickling!"

"Yup, it's going to be a while before we see them again," Ace commented.

"Just when I think I have humans figured out," Rev mumbled to himself.


	35. Chapter 35

Special Police DekaOps

34

While she walked the halls of OpsBase Ace kept looking around. Something felt off about the place today for some reason, she just couldn't put a finger on it. People were greeting her as usual as she passed them, although once or twice she would have sworn a couple of them were snickering behind her back. Of course they'd stop when she looked back at them. Yeah there was nothing suspicious about that.

Turning the corner to the cafeteria she saw Cap standing by the door. She started to wave when he barked, "Ace I need to talk to you now."

She paused in mid step, he didn't look happy about something. As she walked over there Ace tried to remember anything she could have done to put him in this sort of mood. Unless he was starting to get upset about the request forms she was drawing a blank. "Is there a problem Cap?"

"I'll say there is," he said sternly as he guided her into the cafeteria.

"Surprise!", everybody in there shouted. Ace nearly jumped out of her skin.

Dan lost the edge to his voice and smiled as he said, "You never told anybody it was your birthday."

"Michelle," she growled, "I told you I didn't want anybody to make a fuss."

"And how many times are you going to turn twenty one," Michelle told her.

"Yeah Ace," Boomer spoke, "it be a crime to let it pass by."

Dan and Michelle guided her to an able while Target had the group around her separate a bit as Rev brought out a cake. The wax was already starting to trip down the candle as he set it down. "I believe there is a tradition of making a wish before blowing out the candles," he said.

"If you all still here it didn't come true," she said right before blowing them out.

"Don't be such a crouch Ace," Boomer said. "So what if you're a year older, one step closer to the grave and you have to start looking for gray hairs, wrinkles…" Dan shot him a look, "Shutting up now."

"I think it would make Ace's day if teaching her that look ended up being her present," Target chuckled.

"Dan might be ready to give up command if he does," Pierce said. "And I don't think he's ready yet."

"Maybe we can do the next best thing," Dan said. "Now I know Ace is a law abiding citizen and didn't break any of the drinking laws growing up." Ace looked away and started whistling. Dan reached under the table and pulled out a couple of brown paper bags. "And considering the occasion," reaching into the bag he pulled out a six pack of beer, "The first rounds on me." Pulling a can free he handed it to her, "Live it up while you can Ace."

Almost expecting him to pull the can away Ace took it while the Major said, "I thought we agreed not to get her the strong stuff?"

"Major, I do believe I know what the people under me can and cannot handle."

Ace took a drink and nearly coughed, that was stronger than she was expecting. Looking at the others she said, "Don't let me hog it all."

"Besides," Dan continued as he took a can for himself, "I hate the weak stuff. You always told me to plan ahead."

After an hour or so Ace started to relax and enjoy herself. Yeah she didn't want anybody to make a fuss about today, but it gave her a good feeling that they did. Dan sat next to her grabbing another beer. "Cap just out of curiosity, why did you buy me the beer."

"Tradition in my family," he said. "The moment I turned twenty one my Dad and Grand Dad convinced my CO to let them drag me off base to a bar."

"Speaking of traditions there's not any more you guys are going to be following today are you?", she asked feeling a little worried.

"Depends on how drunk we are and how bored we get later. I wouldn't worry about it though." About then they overheard Michelle convince Target to get a ping pong paddle out of one of the rec rooms. Dan happen to notice the grin Michelle was giving Ace. "You might want to tie yourself to that chair." Ace wrapped her legs around the chair legs.

"Major Pierce," A tech said coming in, "Command just called, they might have an assignment."

"Saved by the Alienizer," Ace mumbled as they ran out of the room.

* * *

As the Machine Shepard landed in the jungle of Brazil everybody was a bit uneasy. Not from the beer, Rev had something that would counteract it affects. The case was a people disappearing person case. They handled them before so the problem wasn't there. The problem was the suspects in the area had no problem selling any species as a food source, humans included. "Everybody pay close attentions to the surroundings," Dan ordered. "These guys are especially dangerous and I don't want any mistakes."

"Rev have you heard of these guys before?", Target asked.

"Only rumors Angela," he answered. "And those rumors were not particularly pleasant."

"And the entire planet is like this?"

"Not the entire planet, a majority of them are though."

"Well if it's just a majority," Boomer quipped.

"Not now," Ace snapped at him.

"Target keep a look out for any stray energy readings," Dan continued. "I get the feeling detecting any sort of life sign is going to be a bitch."

"You would be correct so far Captain," rev said. "The scanners on the Shepard were having a hard time identifying which life signs were coming from the local inhabitants and the local wild life."

"Keep an eye on it any way," he said. "Maybe we'll get lucky."

"I hope our luck is that good today," Ace commented.

"Stay together," Dan told them. "If you have to split off from the group don't stray off too far." He led them into the jungle.

* * *

Deeper in the jungle a bald, troll like being with several missing teeth sat in front of a scanner that was especially designed for the jungle. It cost a pretty penny but paid for itself after the first couple of captures. Behind him his partner, who was missing an ear, was polishing a human rib bone, "Zat, look this."

Tossing the rib on a pile of other bones he walked over and looked over his shoulder. "More meat," he grunted.

"Different meat," he pointed out to one in particular.

Zat looked closer, "Zalmanian. Good price, very rare."

"Perhaps taste," he liked his lips. "Check quality." Zat made a fist and pounded him on top of the head. "What for?"

"No taste, never stop. No profit."

"Never had Zalmanian," he whined as he rubbed his head.

"No matter. Set traps send Batsuriods," Zat ordered.

"Right, right," he grumbled. Flipping a few switches to his right activated the traps. A group of Batsuroids walked out of a room and out the door toward the signal. "Sneak taste," he mumbled as Zat started polishing another bone.

* * *

Space cannibals, just when Dan thought he heard it all. He was very tempted to have them suit up the moment they landed. But training told him to wait and see what they were up against first. "This was not how I wanted to spend my birthday," Ace said beside him.

"This wasn't exactly how we were planning on celebrating it," Dan told her. "Just between us, why were you so grumpy at the party?"

"I hate surprise parties," she said. "They only ones who seem to have any fun are the ones surprising you. And it didn't help any that I thought you were pissed at me."

"I tried to get him to come out as super happy Cap," Boomer said. Dan shot him another look. "Wow, look a yellow belly sap sucker."

"You're going to have to teach me to do that one of these days," Ace told him.

"Command secret," Dan told her with a smirk. "It took me years to pry it out of the Major. Why would I make it easy for you?"

"Not even for my birthday?"

"If you can avoid Michelle and what she had planned for the rest of the day I'll give you a quick lesson tomorrow."

"Cap," Target spoke up, "I'm getting a reading. Twenty individual energy signatures and they're coming this way."

"Bots, it has to be," Dan muttered. "Try to find a hiding place. Maybe we can catch them by surprise." They scattered trying to find a hiding spot and still be able to see the path they were on. SP-Shooters drawn they waited and it wasn't a long wait before they spotted the first Batsuroid. Dan watched as five more followed it. He looked over at Target silently asking where the others were. She shook her head, she was still reading twenty energy signatures.

Boomer pointed at something on their waist that Target recognized right away, a signature multiplier. Before Dan could give the order to fire Rev looked behind him. The next moment he was wrapped in a net with a slight glow to it as he fell to the ground. "They have a stun net!" she announced. Boomer drew his knife and headed for him while the other fired at the Batsuroids. Return fire seemed to come from everywhere.

"Light it up!" Dan ordered. Boomer tossed a flash grenade into the air. The original six were momentarily disabled but they were still held down by the return fire. "Damn it."

"Hang on Rev," Boomer said while he tried to cut through the net, "I'm working as fast as I can." Trying to keep his head down he failed to notice a Batsuroid sneaking up behind him. Ace saw it and took it out. She ran over to provide some better cover. She didn't see the laser trip wire before her boot went through it. A beam hit her that knocked her out. "Ace!", Boomer shouted.

"We're going to get chewed up if we stay here!" Target said.

Dan was seething on the inside, he knew she was right but he hated making that call. Especially with people down. Still, he had to keep the teams safety in mind. "Fall back!" he ordered. "Make your way back to the Shepard!"

"What about…?", Boomer started to ask.

"Now!", he shouted. Target had to drag Boomer out of there. Dan fired back before looking at Ace and Rev laying there. Then he retreated back into the jungle.

"Two have been captured," one of the Batsuroids said.

"Take them back to base," said another. "The others will be captured later."

Dan caught up with Target and Boomer in a small clearing after the Batsuroids stopped firing at them. He couldn't look at them, but he did pound his fist into a tree in frustration. "How are we going to deal with this one?", Boomer asked.

"We follow them," Dan told him, "all the way back to their base."

"We don't know what we're up against," Target said. "And we're outnumbered."

"Never stopped us before," Boomer quipped.

"And we were never out maneuvered before, not that badly," she argued. "We need to contact base for some help or go back and pick them up ourselves."

"We all go home or none of us go home," Dan said. "That's how we do things."

"Cap what are going to do?", she asked.

"I have never abandoned anybody to an enemy force and I don't plan on starting now." Dan started back into the jungle. "Hurry up, before the trail gets cold."

"Don't you love it when he gets that determined look in his eyes?", Boomer asked as he followed him.

Target headed off with them saying, "This is crazy, but I'd hate to be the other side with Cap in this mood."

* * *

Coming to Ace immediately took stock of herself. She was still feeling a little sore where whatever it was hit her. Her feet were tied together and her hands were bound above her head. And whatever she was laying on was the hardest thing she had ever been on. That's when she noticed the smell, rotten meat. "It's definitely a birthday I won't be forgetting."

"I would be surprised if you did." She looked around until she saw Rev next to her. "Although awakening to this situation on any day would be memorable. Do you see the Captain or the others from your position?"

"No," she said straining. "Hopefully they got away, they had us six ways to Sunday out there." Rev didn't say anything to that. "You know Cap's motto Rev, he's not going to leave us here. Even if he has to go all Rambo on them."

"I am aware of that Trish," he finally said. "It never occurred to me that I would be waiting to see he is true to his word."

"I'm not exactly flipping over the situation myself. But hey, has Cap ever let us down before."

Before he could answer two of the ugliest aliens she had ever seen walked in. They went over to Rev and started poking him in various places. "Zalmanian good shape. Bring good price."

"Still say taste quality." The other one punched him in the face.

Pointing a finger at him he snarled, "No meat no money. Stupid think belly."

"Stupid Zat," he mumbled. He flinched when the other one made a fist. "Human meat! Human Meat!"

"Rax lucky," he grumbled as he turned his attention toward her. He started poking her in the same way he poked Rev.

Needless to say she didn't take it as stoically as Rev did, "Hey!"

"Lively meat," Zat said with a snort.

"Meat SPD," Rax said tapping the badge on her chest.

"Watch the finger asshole." Rax wrapped a hand around her mouth. She stated smelling and tasting something worse than rotting meat.

"Leave her alone," Rev said but Rax let her go to backhand him. Then Zat punched Rax in response.

"No damage meat!" he snapped. "They wait. Prepare other meat." When they turned to leave Ace looked at her hands and saw her gloves were still on. Immediately she turned her wrist so she could tap the back of her hand against the table.

Dan was cursing at how heavily booby trapped the jungle was the closer they got to where ever they are. But the trail was getting cold fast, especially since they couldn't disable a couple of traps and had to work their way around them. Not that disabling them was getting them there any faster. And they still didn't have a clear idea where this base was. His License started to beep and he quickly checked it. Pulling up a map he saw a tap signal, "That a girl Ace. We have their location, come on."

* * *

Rev and Ace both tried not to hear what was going on in the next room. It made them sick to their stomachs that they couldn't do so. For the fifth time they heard the same thing as before. It might have been a different language each time but it was the same thing, a person begging for their life. Right now they were hearing somebody English try the same. "For God sakes don't do this! Please I'm begging you! I have a family! No! No! No! No!" As always there was a thunk, a mild crack then silence.

Rev silently prayed to the Great Spirit for the person. Ace looked at the doorway as Rax walked by with a club in his hand, the blunt end dripping a bit with fresh blood, "Noisey meat," he muttered.

"Now quiet meat," Zat said as he passed by, a knife in his hand. Ace lowered her head. She was going to give these bastards the fight of her life when they came for her. If they gave her a chance she thought while looking up at her bindings again.

"Is it wrong," Rev said, "That I am wondering where this Zat person learned his skills with a knife considering how fast things are currently going?"

"No offence Rev but that's the most disgusting thought I ever heard you have."

"My apologies Trish."

"It's alright Rev. I'm thinking some weird thoughts too." Like if she'd feel it after they hit her with that club. She shook her head. "Come on guys," she said under her breath.

At that moment Dan had the base they were in right in his sights, the only thing holding him back was Target doing one final sweep with her sensor for any more traps. "We're clear," she announced.

"So we got a straight shot right into those Batsuroids," Boomer said. "When do we go Cap?"

"Now," was all he said as he ran toward the building, with Boomer and Target right behind him, their OpsLicense in their hands. Halfway there he shouted, "Emergency! DekaOps!" They were briefly covered in a red, blue and yellow digital flash and they were wearing their Dekasuits as they continued their charge. "Get us inside!" Dan shouted as Target took a shot at the first Batsuroid they saw.

"You don't have to tell me twice," Boomer told him. The Batsuroids started firing back. They continued their at them returning fire. Dan took a shot on the shoulder that knocked him down. Target slid under a couple of shots and was able to take a few of them out. Boomer kept on going, pausing just long enough to toss a shrapnel grenade by them. It took them out but more seemed to take their place.

"Mow them down," Dan said. He and Target held his their ground and fired away. It was enough of a distraction for Boomer to sneak by them and slap an explosive device on the door. He ran back into hiding with a detonator in his hand. Dan and Target kneeled down and covered their heads. The explosive took out the door and the Batsuroids in front of it. Boomer came out of his spot and fired at the remaining bots before they could react.

"There's our opening," Target said as they ran for it.

* * *

"Stupid meat!" Rax yelled as the explosion rocked the base. "Batsuroids do nothing!"

"Do enough," Zat said. "Hold off meat long enough."

"Process other meat?" Zat nodded. Rax grinned and picked up his club, "Human meat first?"

"Sure," Zat agreed.

"Good, meat noisey. Hurt ears."

They walked into the room holding Ace and Rev. "Here we go," she muttered. Zat held her by the arms while the other one undid her bindings. Ace started kicking at him as best she could. Rax held them down while Zat finished with her hands. "Let me go!" she yelled still struggling. They hauled her up and tied her hands behind her back, she fought them as best she could.

"Stop it!" Rev said struggling against his bindings. Hooking her by the arms they dragged her into the other room. She tried to get her feet in front of her to slow them down but they kept kicking her legs back. The room was bare except for a pedestal in the middle of it. Rax pushed her down to her knees in front of it. He tried to push her head down but she fought back. Finally her head was forced down hard and held against it. The pedestal was still slightly sticky against her cheek from the earlier use and she felt the club on the other side of her head. Ace closed her eyes as she felt the club move away.

"No!", Ace opened her eyes and saw Target shot the club out of his hand. Cap ran in and tackled the other one when he raised his knife. Target kept her D-Shooter pointed at Rax as he held his hand and backed up as Boomer rushed in with Rev right behind him rubbing his wrist and quickly got her free. "You guys all right?", Target asked.

"I've been better," Ace said as she shakily got back to her feet.

"We should get out of here," Boomer said.

"Not yet," Ace told him through gritted teeth. Her License was still in it's holder so she grabbed it and held it out, "Emergency! DekaOps!" A pink digital flash later and she was in her Dekasuit. Switching the License to Judge she held it before her. Rax ran through them and out the door. Zat was able to get free and follow him out. "You bastards are not getting away!" Ace shouted as she chased after them.

"After her," Dan told the rest of them.

They found Ace fighting both of the by a pool of yellow liquid with some steam coming off of it. Zat broke away and grabbed some kind of stick off the wall. Dan had his D-Rod in his hand as he cut him off. Ace could hear every cry of help and beg for life as she pounded on Rax. Suddenly he grabbed her by the ankle and threw her into the others. "We gotcha Ace," Boomer said as they caught her.

"Let me go and get him!", she ordered. Target noticed Dan was having a hard time with Zat and went to help him. Zat got through Dan's guard and jabbed him in the gut with the stick. There was a huge flash were it connected and Dan went flying back into Target. Rax and Zat grabbed both of them and threw them into the pool. Both of them started laughing as it started bubbling.

"Acid," Zat said. "Melt anything, even Dekametal." Through the bubbles there were a couple of flashes. A black armored hand emerged from the pool and grabbed the edge. Zat and Rax backed away to avoid the splatter, the floor sizziling where it made contact. Having activating EXO mode Dan hauled himself up with Target right behind him. The armor was still sizzling a bit and their License looked extremely damaged in the slots.

Rev quickly looked around as Dan stood up holding his gut. He was still slightly bent over. Rev found a hose and quickly twisted the wheel by it, then he sprayed the foam that came out of it all over them. Ace and Boomer held both the cannibals at bay while he did so. Suddenly their License sparked violently and the Dekametal faded away as Dan dropped to his knees still holding his gut.

"Neutralizing foam," Rev explained as he stopped spraying them. "It made sense that they would have some nearby in case of an emergency."

"It's not going to matter anymore," Ace said darkly. "Target orders!" It took way too long for the red X to shine, "Eliminate target." Boomer joined her as they locked their License into their D-Shots. With a little too much pleasure she said, "Strikeout!" After they were deleted Ace dropped to her knees and started shaking and couldn't stop, the adrenaline wearing off and her mind finally processing what almost happened to her.

Boomer was right by her side, "Ace you're going to be alright."

"Cap," she forced out. "How are Cap and Target?"

"They hit the Captain with, for lack of a better term, a cattle prod," Rev said. He was shaking a little himself "His suit protected him but it still did some damage. It doesn't appear that the acid penetrated their suit that I can see. They were fortunate there."

Ace could still hear the scream but she knew she had a job to do. "Get him back to the Shepard. Rev can give them a better examination there. B… Boomer check out this pace to see if there are any other survivors."

"You got it Ace," he said. "What are you going to be doing?"

She couldn't hold it back anymore, taking off her helmet she rushed out of the room, "I'm going to throw up."

* * *

The next day Ace walked into the med bay. Dan was still lying on a bed, bandaged around the waist. Michelle was sitting next to him. Ace didn't want to interrupt them but she had to talk to him, "Michelle can I talk to Cap alone?"

"Sure Ace," she said. "I'll be back later to check on you," she told him before kissing him on the forehead and leaving. Ace took the chair she vacated and sat there in silence for a bit. Finally she said, "How are you doing Cap?"

"Rev said I'll be back on duty in a couple of days. So tell the others to enjoy the mini-vacation while they can," he chuckled a bit. She joined in with a weak version. "Although some sick part of me wants to head to their planet and find out what exactly passes for cattle up there. How are you holding up?"

"Not as good as I thought apparently," she admitted. "The Major wants me and Rev to see some shrink, I think his name is Peterson."

"Jeff Peterson?" She nodded. "I've seen him, he's pretty good."

"You've seen psychiatrist?"

"The Major sent me to see him after my first assignment. When I told you I nearly got half my unit killed I didn't mention I was almost part of that half. Peterson helped me through it though. He made me see him again after we lost D.E. and I almost executed the bastard."

"I still hear them Cap," she told him. "The ones we heard being killed. I can't shut them out.

"I can't tell you you'll stop hearing them Ace," he said placing a hand on her shoulder, "because I was hearing those gunshots for weeks afterwards. I still hear them in my dreams sometimes. Something like that doesn't go away. Who knows, maybe you're a little stronger than I am in that aspect."

"I'm guessing he'll want us to go to some sort of support group?"

"Well if you want you can tell him you're already in one, being lead by one of his former patients.

"How do you do it Cap?", she said softly. "I saw you were down and knew I had to take over, but I couldn't keep it together, not like I've seen you out there. I lost my lunch before I even made it to the door."

"I'll let you in on a command secret, we're still human. We just got to go through a lot of shit to get a really tough skin. But honestly, if I was in your place I'd probably be throwing up too. Some things you should never get used to. Remember that if nothing else."

Ace wanted to feel better after hearing that but it didn't really help. She sat there for a long time talking to him. She knew he was right but she didn't think those screams would ever quiet down completely. One day at a time was going to be hell.


	36. Chapter 36

Special Police DekaOps

35

~Then~

Dan walked out of a building in his field uniform. The others were covering a blue skinned alien and a human with dirty blond hair. The human got up and pleaded with him, "Dan you got to believe me. I didn't want this to happen. I just wanted to help Jase."

Walking past him Dan simply told him, "Shut up."

The human got angry and sarcastically said, "Yes sir, Lieutenant Fast Track sir! The rules and regulations before anything else! Is there anything else this lowly maggot needs to know Lieutenant Fast Track sir?"

Dan stopped, "Yeah there is," turning around and going back over he said, "it's Captain." In the next instant Dan punched him. As he laid there Dan just glared at him before saying, "Get this son of a bitch out of my sight," and turned and walked away.

~Now~

In a jail cell a man with dirty blond hair was using pipe that was above him to perform some pull-ups. All he could do lately was exercise and think about how one of his supposed best friends betrayed him, twice. Somehow they stuck him in this specialty jail in permanent solitary. He guessed Fast Track didn't want him spilling his secret to anybody. He thought about the eagle tattoo on his left shoulder, yeah some bond they had. That was turned into a joke the moment Fast Track turned him into the MPs.

"Most impressive," somebody said behind him. He dropped from the pipe and turned toward the source. A prison guard he had never seen before, and he had seem most of them by now, stared at him.

"Show's over," he snapped. "Just leave me the fuck alone."

"Normally I would but I think I may have some use for you."

"Try it," he warned him, "I'll be stomping your ass into the ground."

"I believe you misunderstood me human," the guard started to change shape. Now inside the guard uniform was something that looked like a lizard. "My name is Chatrox, and you could say that I am the agent of your deliverance."

"Stuff it skag," he said, "I don't deal with filth from off planet."

"Even if I could give you your freedom?"

"You have nothing I want that would be worth dealing with you," he spat.

"Maybe not, but Andrew Boreman I do believe we have a common thread," he said smoothly.

Andy snorted, "And what could we possibly have in common?" Chatrox held a hand through the bars and opened it. Inside it was a small metal disc with a glass center. With a press of a button the glass lit up and an image formed in the air above it. It was a pale blue image of a human in a black military style uniform that seemed to stare at him. "Fast Track," he spat.

"You and I both want revenge on this human," Chatrox studied him. "I don't have access to Deka technology but I do believe I have something that would put you on the same level with Stevens when he activates it."

"What's the catch?", Andy said eyeing him.

"Only that you will occasionally do a job for me when required," he said. "My organization can use somebody with your particular set of skills. I just take a cut from your profits."

"How big a cut?"

"Thirty percent," Chatrox told him, "Until you fully pay for the equipment I'm going to give you. Then it goes down to twenty." Thinking it over Andy looked him right in the eye.

"I'm in, now get me out of here."

"Of course." The wall behind him exploded causing him to duck on instinct. The new opening revealed a space craft of some sort just hovering outside. An Igadroid waited just inside the open hatch. "My personal craft," the Agent told him. Andy didn't need to hear anything else as he jumped out the hole and onto the wing of the craft.

* * *

The sun was shining down on the park and it was such a lovely day to be outside. One particular group seemed to be enjoying it more than the others. Dan and a man in a wheelchair was busy playing with a blond haired little girl. Michelle walked over to a picnic bench and sat next to a blond haired woman. They watched the three for a moment. The woman leaned over and said, "I'm surprised how fast Dani took to you. She's never that active around people she doesn't know."

"Dan said the same thing," Michelle said. "But she is adorable Paula."

She smiled, "Thanks, but she is a bit of a handful at times, especially after Dan riles her up." Michelle just smiled. "Although I'm kind of glad they're over there, it gives us a chance to talk a bit."

"You wanted to see what kind of woman could make Dan break that rule of his?"

"Something like that," Paula chuckled. "He was so steadfast in that rule I was certain a woman was going to have to get a battalion to aim their weapons at him first."

"It only took half a battalion," Michelle joked. "I'm a little surprised too. I was fully prepared to just be friends with him, but things just happened."

"I'm just glad he finally did," Paula admitted.

"So I guess I'm passing expectations so far," she grinned.

"You passed the moment Dani took to you."

"Aunt Michelle," Dani said running up.

"Aunt?", she said suspiciously looking at Dan. He pointed at his friend Barry in the wheelchair. Barry pointed at him at the same time.

"Actually I think the culprit," Paula said picking up Danielle and sitting her between them, "is one over active imagination."

"She's with Uncle Danny," Dani explained.

"There not together in that way munchkin," her mom told her.

"At least not yet," Barry smirked.

Dan looked at him, "Don't make me hurt you."

"But I'm in a wheel chair."

"You think that's going to stop me?"

"Barry," Paula said.

"Dan," Michelle said at the same time.

"See what you're getting me into?", Dan said.

"Oh sure," Barry told him, "blame the paralyzed guy."

Dani looked at her mother, "Can't I call her Aunt Michelle?" Michelle looked over to Paula, she smiled and nodded her approval.

"I would love to be your aunt sweetie," she told Dani. The little girl hugged her around the neck.

Barry elbowed him in the side, "You better take the hint man."

"Barry," Paula warned him.

"Come on munchkin," Dan said taking his Goddaughter's hand, "Mommy's about to let Daddy have it."

"Dan don't put that thought in her head," Michelle scolded him.

"He's not that far off," Paula told her. "Don't rush them Barry."

"You ever get the feeling you're being outmaneuvered?", Dan asked Michelle.

A scream caught their attention. Dan and Michelle both looked to see what the commotion was. A couple of Igadroids was leading some Batsuroids and Anaroids. They shot in their directions. Danielle screamed as Dan and Michelle drug Barry and his family to the ground. "It's those robots on the news," Barry said. He looked at Dan, who looked at Michelle then at Paula and Dani.

"Dani," he said looking her in the eyes, "I need you to keep a secret. You can't tell anybody about what you see. Can you promise me that?" His Goddaughter looked scared but still nodded while Paula looked confused. "That goes for you too Paula, I'll explain later. Come on Michelle."

"Right," she said as they got up.

Facing the oncoming bots Dan said, "Change standby." Reaching behind their backs they took out their License. "Emergency!", Dan started before he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He saw something red, more importantly he saw something that looked like a gun pointed right at them. Dan grabbed Michelle and dove for the ground an energy bolt just missed them. Dani screamed again.

Dan rolled to his back and got a better look at what shot at them. It looked like a guy in red armor with a black suit underneath it. A black glass visor covered his face, a hand blaster was still pointed at him. He marched toward them, his aim never wavering. Dan and Michelle immediately got in front of Barry and his family. "That is so sweet of you Fast Track," the armored individual sneered.

Dan and Barry both recognized the voice, "Andy?"

"I still can't believe you're still hanging round this traitor Barry," he said. "Then again you always believed the bullshit that comes out of his mouth, loser."

"Don't talk to my daddy that way!", Dani shouted.

"Shut up brat," Andy snapped. Dan gripped the License in his hand, Andy saw it. "Go ahead Fast Track, show them what you sold out for. Let's see if you can change before I can shoot you, or this bunch of traitor supporters."

"Leave them out of this Andy," Dan pleaded.

"DekaData," Michelle whispered and hit the button on top of her DataLicense. In a white digital flash she was in her Dekasuit and got between them. "Barrier shield", she ran her finger down the first row of the keypad on her arm and stretched her arms wide. Andy fired at the same time. Her energy shield blocked the shot.

That gave Dan enough time to go into action. "Emergency! DekaOps!" A red flash later he was in his suit and standing next to Michelle. "I don't know what rock you crawled out from under but I'm going to put you back."

"Maybe," Andy snorted, "but let's see were your priorities really are. Robots." Dan and Michelle looked back over to the bots, they didn't notice they stopped moving when Andy made his move. "Level everything and start with them," he pointed at Barry, Paula and Danielle.

"No," Michelle immediately ran toward the bots. Dan stood between Andy and Barry's family. He turned around and walked away. Dan wanted to go after him but he heard the screams of the people being terrorized by the bots. He knew Michelle could take them but she couldn't get all of them in time. Cursing to himself he ran in and joined her. By the time they stopped the bots Andy was long gone.

* * *

They made sure Barry, Paula and Daniel were fine before heading back to OpsBase. Again Dan promised to Paula that he would explain everything the first chance he got, but he had to find out where in the hell Andy came from first. When they gave a brief report to the Major he looked guilty about something before telling him. "How come nobody told me he escaped from jail two weeks ago?", he demanded.

"Orders from Command, I only found out about it a couple of days ago myself," he explained. "They know about your history with him Dan. They also know that he found out about what you do now. I didn't have a say in it but they arranged for him to be put in a special prison so he wouldn't talk to anybody about what he saw."

"Which I'm sure he blames me for," Dan said.

"Dan…," the Major began.

"He still thinks I reported him to the MPs," he told him. "Trust me, in his mind, this is just the latest of my sins against him."

"So how did he get out?", Boomer asked. "Granted Cap never talked about him that much but I always got the feeling he wasn't that bright."

"I was able to find footage of the breakout," Michelle announced as she played it. They saw the outside of the prison as a ship appeared out of thin air and blasted part of it. Then it readjusted it position in the air as Andy jumped out of the opening. Then the ship faded away again.

"I have seen that craft before," Rev commented.

"So have I," Ace said, "when we went after Chatrox. How did that bastard find out about him?"

The Major spoke up again, "We have a report of a body of one of the prison guard being found a couple of days after it happened. Given his enhancements that's probably how he got in. We're still working out how he how he found out about the place. Then again the Alienizers had surprised us before."

"Especially an Agent who knows how SPD works," Ace chimed in.

Michelle watched Dan while they were discussing things. She knew that look. Getting up she said, "Come on Dan, let's get out of here before you blow a gasket."

"That's probably a good idea," the Major agreed. Michelle took him out of the Command Room. "I can only imagine what's going through his head right now."

"I'm just guessing," Target spoke up, "that Cap has a history with both of these guys."

"You have no idea," Ace told her.

"I'm not trying to stir up any trouble but should Cap be leading this one?"

"I had my doubts as well when we first went after Chatrox," Rev told her. "But he was able to keep himself in check."

"Still," Ace spoke up, "after that Cap made me promise that if we ever went after him again to keep a close eye on him. The moment I thought he was about to lose control I was to yank command from him."

"Do you think that implies here?", Boomer asked.

Looking at the door Cap and Michelle went through she said, "It does now."

In his quarters Michelle sat on his bed as Dan stood and stared at the pictures on his wall. Particualrly one of him in his buddies back in the army, the Eagle banner behind them. When he didn't say anything she went, "Are you going to punch that one too?"

He rubbed the back of his hand a bit saying, "Not this time." Finally turning away he sat on the bed next to her. "I can't believe he threatened Barry and them."

"He obviously went nuts," Michelle told him. "I'm going to do everything possible to find out how Chatrox found about him."

"It doesn't matter now," Dan said. "Andy's out and Chatrox sent him after me. He really knew where to hit me this time." Michelle rubbed his arm.

"What are you going to do?"

Looking back at the picture softly, almost a whisper, he said, "What I have to."

* * *

Hidden away in an abandoned factory Andy was practicing his aim against some improvised targets. Can, bottles, small machinery anything he could find was hit. Then he turned toward the other side of the room. On the wall was a crude drawing of a figure in a black and red uniform. Not even bothering with the helmet's targeting system he fired at the drawing. Each bolt hit the wall leaving a black scorch mark. He didn't stop until the upper body was one black mark. On his mental command the helmet retracted away from his head revealing his smirking face.

"We had a deal," Chatrox said coming into view.

"It's still on skag," Andy said attaching the gun to the belt. "I'm just having a little fun first."

"I know from personal experience that it is unwise to underestimate a Deka," the Agent told him.

"And I know this particular 'Deka' since boot camp," Andy shot back. "I know how he's going to react. I knew when he had to choose between getting me and helping out the so-called innocents, I was walking out of there."

"You also believed he would let you go once before," Chatrox sneered.

Losing the smirk Andy said, "One time."

"One is all it takes."

"Is there a point to this?", Andy snapped.

"I just wanted to make sure your eye was still on the goal human."

Looking back at the figure on the wall he replied, "I still have the goal in sight. But there's something about making Fast Track suffer a little first, make his guts tie up in knots wondering when I'm going to hit next."

"That does not sound like the human I've dealt with," Chatrox informed him.

"Like I said I've known him longer. I know exactly how much friendship means to him," he spat. "I will take him out so don't worry about that. But there is one thing."

"And what's that human?"

"His team. I know enough about those Deka bastards to know they always work in a group."

"That is usually the case, but not always," Chatrox smirked.

"I don't want to have to worry about them while I'm kicking Dan's ass."

"You still have enough Igadroids and Baturoids at your disposal to take care of them."

"And I saw what two of them did to the ones I did use."

"Then perhaps you should find a way to separate him from his unit," Chatrox told him before walking away. The human said something under his breath but he didn't care. The sooner this filth took care of Stevens the sooner he could limit his association with him.

* * *

In the week since it happened they watched Dan practically climb up the walls waiting for Andy to show back up. He spent most of his days in the gym or on the firing range, getting ready as he put it. Ace in particular paid real close attention to him. She respected him to no end and was grateful he was doing what he could to help her through the nightmares from their last mission. As much as she didn't want to make the call she would for the good of the team.

He nearly jumped off the couch and out the door as Michelle called them to the Command Room. They glanced at Ace who just held up a finger as she followed him out the door, "Let's not jump the gun."

When they got there Dan was standing there waiting. "We got a trouble spot in California," the Major said. The location showed up on the screen as Dan looked surprised. "As Dan probably figured out there's an Army base near there."

"The one we were stationed at when he got caught," he said out loud. Again they glanced over at Ace. Looking at the screen he said, "Ace."

"Yeah Cap," she answered.

"Be ready just in case." Then he headed for the ready room without another word.

The Shepard landed outside of a small town when a group of Batsuroids attacked. Dan ordered them by the ramp before they lowered it. It slowly opened and they opened fired with their SP-Shooters the moment they saw a blue head. After they dropped Dan and Target went down the ramp to make sure the coast was clear before waving down the rest. "I knew we were going to run into that situation sooner or later," Boomer commented.

"Thanks for sharing with the rest of us," Dan snapped. They went past the deactivated bots on the ground. Rev happened to notice several had something blinking on their waist.

"Captain," he called out as he examined it, "it's a holo disc."

"Be careful Rev," Boomer said as he headed over. "It could be bobby trapped." He examined it closely before setting it down on the ground. "Looks clean, I wonder what's on it." He activated it. All of them looked at Dan as Andy's image formed above it.

"Hey there Fast Track," he said. "If you can drag yourself away from your team," he sneered as he said that, "meet me here." His image was replaced by a map with a dot blinking on it. "I'll be waiting for you. Come alone because I'll see if anybody comes with you. Then I'll walk away and do this again with a bigger force, maybe play with an old friend of ours. See you 'buddy'."

Before the map faded Dan was already running up the ramp. Ace followed him and saw him open up one of the Hound bay. As he pulled the bike out he finally noticed her, "Cap please tell me you're thinking straight. We have a bunch of bots terrorizing a town right now."

"I know but if we don't get him now he's going to it again. I am not going to let him do that."

"Cap…," she started to say but hesitated.

"Do it if you think you have to," he told her, "but I'm going."

"I'm taking over command," she said, "now step away from the Hound." Dan looked at her for a moment before stepping away. "I remember what he let happened to your friend Jason. And Michelle told me you haven't forgiven him for that. So I'm telling you to keep a level head when you see him. We got the bots."

"Thanks Ace." Dan started walking the Hound toward the ramp when she grabbed his arm.

Not looking at him she said, "Cap I'm trusting you to do this legal. Please don't break that trust." Nodding after a moment he got on the Hound and rode it toward Andy's location.

* * *

The trip took him to the coast. Dan found Andy staring out at the ocean, his head exposed. He looked over his shoulder as Dan got off the Hound and walked toward him. Stopping a few yards away they stood there in silence before Andy turned around. "Wearing your new uniform, just like when you arrested me the last time," Andy said. "That make you feel good Fast Track? So good that you had to do it again."

"You brought it on yourself Andy."

"Is that what you told yourself after you ratted me out?", he demanded.

"And the fact you were still there ten minutes later never crossed…," Dan stopped balling his fist. "I'm done trying to explain it to you. I'm putting you back in jail."

"Personally this time?", Andy joked as the helmet started to encase his head.

Dan grabbed his License, "Emergency! DekaOps!" In a red flash Dan was covered in Dekametal. They stood there for a moment before Andy charged. Dan sidestepped him and was caught a backhand he didn't see coming. Stumbling from the blow he was open as Andy drove him to the ground. His former friend stomped on him until he caught his foot and pushed him back. Getting to his feet Dan caught another punch aimed at his head and threw him. Andy flipped in the air and landed on his feet. Grabbing before he could react raised him over his head and slammed him to the ground.

"Not so tough now are you?", Andy demanded. He reached for him again. Dan quickly got his foot between them and flipped him over to the ground. Andy kicked him in the head to give him time to get back up. "Come on you son of a bitch!" he yelled as he went at him again. Knowing each other for so long they were able to anticipate what the other was about to do as they countered and blocked each other. Andy went for a kick that Dan caught. Grunting he held on to it as he threw him.

"You always telegraphed that kick," Dan told him. Andy grabbed his blaster and started firing away. Dan was floored by the first couple of shots. Andy got up and stood over him with the blaster.

"And I was always the faster shot." Before he could pull the trigger Dan rose up and grabbed his wrist, pointing the gun away from him. A couple bolt still barely passed by his head. Holding on Dan grabbed his D-Colt and fired point blank. He backed up as Dan got up and quickly kicked the blaster out of his hand. Dropping the D-Colt Dan ran in and punched him in the face. Andy retaliated as they kept throwing haymakers at each other. Putting all he had into one punch Dan shattered the visor. Spinning around he kicked him down.

Dan stood there, Andy just burned a hole into him with his eyes. "What are you going to do now? Judge me? Go ahead! Do it you son of a bitch!"

Dan reached for his belt buckle and removed the D-Whoppers that he promptly slapped around his wrist, "You're under arrest." Walking away he pulled his License, "Stevens to Ops5, what's your status?"

"Bots are taken care of," she answered. "It wasn't as bad as we originally thought. But I'm have Target and Rev searching the area for any still in hiding." She was silent for a moment, "What's your status?"

"Target is detained and waiting for a jail cell."

"Understood, I'll be there to pick both of you up as soon as I can, Ops5 out." The entire time Andy sat there cussing him out.

* * *

Dan sat in the observation room of the orbital station trying to get lost in the silence. Trying not to think about what happened today. In the windows reflection he saw the door open and close. In a matter of moments Ace was sitting next to him just staring out the observation window. "So why did you trade shifts with Boomer?"

"I needed to get away for a bit," he told her. "Why are you up here?"

"I'm doing a surprise inspection of the hanger crew to keep them on their toes," she answered. "How are you doing?"

"I had to arrest my former best friend, I'm not feeling good no matter what he did."

"You did it legal Cap, that has to count for something."

"I know. You know Ace sometimes I still can't believe a friendship that tight went that bad that fast. I considered each one of them a brother. I would have done anything for any of them."

"It happens sometimes Cap," she said. "I know I was friends with some people before that went to hell before I knew it. Sometimes you just got to go with the punches. Now I do believe Michelle is waiting for me to get back so she can come up her and comfort you personally. The faster I get out of here the faster she can do that."

She got up when Dan said, "Thanks for listening to me for a bit Ace."

"You've been trying to help me out, it's the least I can do."

On the planet below in a special warehouse operated by SPD Andy's armor was stored after they got it off of him. Placed in a special case nobody saw a light silently blink inside the chest armor.


	37. Chapter 37

Special Police DekaOps

36

Sitting around the rec room Ace stared at the TV in front of her. She really wasn't paying attention to it, she just needed the background noise while she drank a cup of warm milk and waited for whatever it was that did it to kick in. The fact she was on her third cup should have told her something. Maybe she was being impatient , then again maybe she should try one of those remedies Boomer and Cap suggested. She was a bit surprised to hear the door open at this hour. Looking back she said, "Hi Michelle."

"Hi yourself," she said as she sat next to her. "Did you have another one?" The one being a nightmare of almost dying.

"Yeah," she answered. "It wasn't as bad this time. I'm going to have to talk to the doctor but I'm thinking that's a good thing."

"Too bad Dan's doing a shift on the orbital station, he could probably tell you."

She nodded, "So what are you doing up? Not used to sleeping alone?", she joked. Michelle shoved her slightly.

"Hey I love Dan and all but sometimes I like having the bed all to myself. No I just woke up and couldn't fall back to sleep. I was hoping to catch a movie or something. I can fall asleep a lot better if I'm watching something."

"If you want some company," Ace said, "I'm willing to give it a shot."

"Sure," Michelle said as she looked for the remote, "but the moment we start making jokes about the movie I'm giving up. Because then I'll never be able to fall asleep."

"Deal," she agreed. By the time they found the remote Ace remembered she had it on a news station. How did she not fall asleep to that? Although the volume was lower than usual both of them could hear the anchorperson. Apparently that Earth First group was starting to make some noise again, a little more violently this time. Shaking her head Ace simply went, "Those idiots again? I thought they disappeared after we exposed them during that alien ruse a while back."

"They didn't go away, they just regrouped. I still can't find anything on that Chad Rockwell guy their using as a front man now."

"You're still looking into him?"

Michelle nodded, "Every so often, usually after he does a TV interview. Dan's still positive he knows him from somewhere. But neither of us can figure out where though. It's starting to drive me nuts."

"No offence but that's sounding a little close to being obsesseive."

"I know. Fortunately the guy is only being interviewed every other month, so it's not that bad. Beside Dan only asks every other interview or so." Flipping through the channels she found something to watch, "This one always puts me to sleep."

* * *

"Thanks again Booby," D.E.'s dad Tony said after they loaded the last bag into a large metal bin. Both of them of them looked back as their respective wives finished rearranging what was left of the now empty garage. "I've been putting this off for years now. Of course now I don't know what I'm going to do with all the extra room."

"It's no problem," boomer told him, "besides I told you that anytime you needed anything to give me a ring."

"I know but a lot of people say it but don't really mean it."

"People say I'm a weird one."

"Ace says it daily," Lisa called out.

"Ha-ha," Boomer dead panned.

"I'm heading to the store to pick up dinner. We should be back in a bit."

"If I don't get a call I'll be here," he told her as he gave her a kiss on the cheek as she passed.

Lisa saw D.E. younger brother just sort of hanging around, "You want to come Billy?"

"No," he said as he walked back into the house. Boomer and Lisa just looked at each other. Before long Lisa joined Molly in the car leaving Boomer and Tony alone.

"Is Billy all right?", he asked. "He doesn't seem the same since the last time I saw him."

Tony sighed, "He's been like that ever since we lost Terry. Everybody says he'll snap out of it. But honestly I'm starting to wonder."

"You want me to talk to him?"

"No son, everybody we know said something to him at one point or another. I think he'd scream if somebody else did."

"I think I can pull some strings and get Rev up here if you think it'll help," Boomer offered. "He's pretty good at this sort of thing."

"Any other time and I'd think about it," he said. "But Billy's been on this, I don't want to say anti-alien kick but he's been keeping his distance lately. Even from the ones he's known for a while now."

"That's not good," Boomer mumbled.

"I know. To make matters worse we've caught him hanging around some kids whose parents we know are anti-alien. And from what I can tell he's more willing to talk to them than to us.

"Maybe I should talk to him anyway," Boomer commented. "Besides I've been screamed at so much I'm practically immune to it by now."

* * *

"Thank you for accompanying me today Angela," Rev said as they walked through the park. The weather was nice enough that he lowered the hood covering his head and took in the sun's rays. Hardly anyone paid them any attention as they walked down the path. It was amazing how fast people got use to the new norm. "I usually take these walks alone to contemplate things. But every so often I do enjoy being joined by somebody."

"It's my pleasure Rev," she replied. "Actually I've been to this park a couple of times myself after I arrived. This place is beautiful."

"Indeed it is," he agreed. "Although I love my home planet dearly the way it is I do sometimes wish there was a spot like this on it."

"I'm sure it has its own beauty Rev, you just have to know where to look for it."

"You are right of course," he said. "But most of my life has been spent living at the temple. Rarely did I have the time to find it."

"It might be one of those things were you only notice if you don't live there. I know there were things in my home town that I never paid attention to unless we had family visiting," she told him.

"Perhaps," he said thinking it over. Rev turned a bit when he heard something. Target looked around more out of habit than anything else. Both of them saw a small crowd by the fountain. Out of curiosity they headed over to see what was going on.

"I'm telling you," the speaker said, "those damn aliens are going to take your jobs, your house, your very way of life." Target looked dismayed, the more things changed…

"Come on Rev," she said. "Let's find someplace a little more pleasant to be." Not to mention she wasn't sure how much their Springfield police badge would protect them in case they noticed Rev. Some of those guys looked ready to start something at a moment's notice.

"Perhaps you are right Angela," Rev said. He started to reach back and pull the hood back over his head. She stopped him, "Would it not be for the best?"

"No it wouldn't, you do that and they basically win. Besides they try anything we can arrest them for assault, as long as we don't provoke them into throwing the first punch."

* * *

"Theses skags are nuisance to our way of life! Taking our Jobs! Taking our homes! How long before our very values are replaced with whatever bastard religion they have!" Disguised as a human Chatrox sat behind and tried to tune out the human blowhard at the podium. This particular bag of air was named Walter Jansen, the apparent founder of these Earth First imbeciles. And if his original plan had worked he still wouldn't be here listening to this filthy human.

And it was such a simple plan too, use these hairless apes to stir up anti-alien feelings in the population. If he guessed right there would have been a riot or two eventually, enough of a distraction to draw Stevens and his unit out into the open. Black badge or not he knew how SPD operated, they would have been sent out to help in one form or another. An all too simple plan that had one thing going against it. The humans had to react how he thought they would, he should have known it wouldn't work the moment it came to him.

No, he greatly overestimated the general mistrust this world had to extra terrestrial life forms. Yes there was some, as this very group before him testified to, but not enough. Then there was the 'alien' they put out. Even with the assistance of his old Igadroid that failed as well thanks to Stevens' unit. And they exposed the fraud for what it was. Whatever leeway this so-called movement had was quickly knocked out from under it as that news went public. Now what was a potential force was made a laughing stock. It took a long time for this to be built back up again. Which meant he had to be "Chad Rockwell" longer than he originally intended. And he had to find new ways to keep his food from vomiting out of his stomach as a result.

Returning his attention back to Jansen he tried not to let his disgust show through. As it was his face was hurting so much it was starting to go numb. "Now I know mistakes were made and we were ridiculed for the longest time. But we have weathered the storm and are now stronger as a result. We will not be stopped in getting our message across. We will find more people who believe the truth, people who do not listen to what to believe what the media implants in their minds. Because we are the true heroes to this world. Because we put Earth First!"

"Earth First! Earth First! Earth First!" the crowd chanted. Chatrox had to give Jansen credit for one thing, he knew how to work these hairless apes. Chatrox was able to leave without anybody seeing him. Reaching inside his jacket he pulled out a computer pad. He was still having a hard time deciphering the reading he recorded. That idiot human he broke out of jail and sent after Stevens had to have screwed this up as well. The armor he gave him had a hidden tracer in the chest. On the very possible chance Stevens defeated him he could track them down to their headquarters. But there was a missing section in the transmission.

The question was what could have caused it?"

* * *

"Are you sure William wishes to talk to me?" Rev asked walked up to the Kennedy's front door. Cap and the Major were all for it the idea when Boomer brought it up. In fact everybody but Rev thought this was a great idea. Granted it took some doing to convince D.E. parents to agree but they saw where he was coming from.

"He may not want to Rev," Boomer told him, "but I think he needs to. This is D.E.'s brother we're talking about here. I know he's a good kid but he needs to be reminded that not all aliens are the bad guys."

"But it has been so long since I've talked to him," he tried to say.

"I know bud, they kinda fell off my radar for awhile too. But think of it as a chance for a brand new start." Before Boomer could knock the door open as D.E.'s mother greeted them. "Hey Molly, long time no see."

"Hello Mrs. Kennedy," Rev said with a nod.

"Hi Bobby and it's good to see you again Ranzack," she said. "I know Tony didn't think this was a good idea at first, but he's always been a little stubborn. I think he's convinced himself it's a phase he's going through."

"Anything I can do to help Mrs. Kennedy."

"Speak of the devil," she said looking out the window. Billy was walking up the sidewalk, head down and carrying a backpack over his shoulder. "I don't think I've seen him smile since it happened," she added sadly.

"I'm sure seeing Rev again will brighten his mood." As an afterthought he whispered, "Just in case stay away from the game console." Rev was the only one who could hear it so he looked at him.

The door opened and Billy didn't notice them until he was already in the room. "Billy, look who's come to see you."

"Hello William, it is good to see you again," Rev gave him a warm smile as he walked toward him. Billy took a step back so Rev stopped where he was so he wouldn't intrude on the younger man's space. "My apologies for not coming by sooner. My duties have kept me rather busy these past few months.

"Whatever," Billy said, mostly to the floor. His mother started to say something about it but Rev and Boomer put up a hand to keep her quiet.

"But I am here now, I believe that is the saying on this planet." Rev paused to let him say anything. "I do believe we have much to catch up on." Billy mumbled something. Rev heard it clearly and wasn't sure how to react.

Boomer on the other hand, "What did you say Billy? I didn't hear you clearly."

"Why did you let my brother die!", the young boy exploded.

"Billy," his mother started to say.

"Terry said you could fix just about anything! Why couldn't you help him?"

"William it was not that simple."

"You let him die! I hate you!" Billy ran out the door before anybody could stop him. Boomer, Rev and his mother chased after him but he was already out of sight.

"Rev you come from with me," Boomer said, "and we'll head this way. Molly you go that way." While they split up across the street a particular set of neighbor had seen the whole thing. Making sure nobody else was watching they headed in the direction Billy actually went

* * *

Staying in the corner of the room Chatrox watched as the other members of the "Brain Trust" strategized. Their main concern was how to keep the movement going now that it was back on track. Of course he couldn't help but notice Jensen was remaining quiet as well. Something about this particular human unnerved him more than usual. Perhaps it was the idea Jensen wouldn't hesitate to shot him between the eyes if he ever discovered his true nature.

"We can't make the same mistake as last time," one of them said. "We're still the butt of jokes after our 'alien' plan blew up in our faces."

"Yes," Jensen finally spoke up, "but what exactly? Any ideas Chad?"

It took Chatrox a moment to realize he was being spoken to, "Perhaps we need to show them how serious we are."

"That doesn't tell me how," Jensen told him.

"We execute one of them." Like he thought that caused a lot of discussion in the group. Surprisingly a majority seemed unsure of the idea. Jensen looked a bit surprised himself at the number of naysayers himself. "If you want these jokes to stop then we have to show them how far we are willing to go."

"The repercussions…," one started to say.

"Those repercussions," Jensen cut him off, "will be from those who are willing to give this planet away. We are in a war gentlemen, it's about time we started acting like it. Rockwell is right we have to show them we are willing to fight for what is ours. Now we just need a target."

"Nobody too high place," Chatrox said. When they looked at him he elaborated, "SPD would be on the case so fast we wouldn't have time to pull the trigger."

"He's right," another one said.

"So we grab somebody a little lower key," said one of the few who were behind the idea. "And it just some skag off the street either."

"Excuse me a second," somebody said as he took a call. After a few minutes he said, "Bring them up." To the group he said, "I think we may have our target."

After a few moments an elderly couple walked in with a small human boy Chatrox found familiar for some reason. After some introductions and some brief small talk the old man turned to the boy and said, "Ok Billy, tell them what you told us."

* * *

Working in his office off the side of med bat Rev found it hard to concentrate on his task. He was still worried about William. It had been hours and still nobody had seen him. His parents assured him they didn't blame him for what happened. It was just something that had built up and finally exploded. He was so caught up in the situation he almost the incoming call on his board. The fact it was coming from off base surprised him, in fact only a few people knew where he was. Answering the call he uncertainly said, "Hello?"

"Ranzack," a familiar voice responded.

"William? Where are you? How did you access this line?"

"My brother showed me how in case of an emergency." He was quiet for a moment, "Can I talk to you?"

"Of course you can William."

"Face to face, I don't want o talk over the phone."

"Whatever you wish William." Giving him his location William had one stipulation. "I will come alone. I will be there as soon as I can."

* * *

"Has anybody seen Rev?" Dan asked as he walked into the command room. The last time anybody had seen him was a few hours ago. This wasn't like him.

"He said something about an errand that just came up," one of the techs said.

"Anybody see him come back?" Nobody could answer him. "Did he at least say where he was going?" Again silence.

"I tried calling him," Michelle said as she came into the room, "but he wouldn't answer."

"Now I know something's wrong," Dan muttered.

"Ace sent Boomer back out to look for him," she continued.

"Boomer just called in," Ace announced as she entered as well followed by Target. "He found his License. Whatever happened he was able to activate the ditch function beforehand."

"What else can go wrong," Dan muttered to himself. Almost on cue the Major came into the room.

"We might have a situation," he announced. "We got word through the grapevine that Earth First is planning something big. They want us on standby in case things get out of hand."

"I had to ask. Did the grapevine have an idea what they were planning?"

"From what we understand they captured an alien and are planning on executing him then send out the video of it afterwards."

Ace voiced the same thought they all had, "Rev."

"We have no proof that it's him," the Major told them.

"It fits the facts," Dan said. "Rev's missing and this is going on."

"I don't think I can get you clearance to officially go in without knowing for sure."

"Then we don't officially go in," Dan countered. "We just need to know where he is."

Before the Major could say anything Michelle, who at this point was busy at her station stood op and told him, "The Major is right Dan, officially we can't do anything. Like how I can't tell you officially that Jensen owns a warehouse roughly two miles south of here. And officially I can't say anything about satellite picking up images of people walking in way after hours. Officially I can't tell you any of that."

The Major shook his head while Dan smiled at her. He leaned over the railing and kissed her, "Thank you for not telling me. Come on we got a place not to be."

While Michelle had a satisfied look on her face Target held back long enough to say, "Looks like you have to not tell him things more often."

* * *

A crowd about the same size as the last one ate up Jensen's every word. And he ate up the rush of indestructibility and power the crowd gave him. Above them in the catwalk a couple of guards patrolled looking for any sign of trouble makers below. For some reason that Rockwell guy insisted they post several guards p there. He had been right about things before so Jensen had three of them put up there. If Rockwell was there he would have put more up there. But since he wasn't Jensen thought patrolling the grounds was more important.

One guard in particular was paying close attention to the crowd looking for any sign of a trouble maker. Then he felt a breeze that made him turn around. There was a window open that he was positive was closed before. Putting it down to him thinking it was closed he turned back around. Seeing the other two guards he saw two pairs of black gloved hands come out of the shadows and pull them in before they could react. Before he could shout out a warning another gloved hand clamped over his mouth and pulled him back.

Oblivious to all of it below Jensen continued to work the crowd into a frenzy. "I know why you are all here," he told them. "You want to witness the first shot in the war that will save our planet from these intruders. Let's call them exactly what they are, invaders. They may have fooled everybody else but not us. But first let me introduce you to a young man that recently came to my attention. Come out here Billy."

Billy nervously walked out, unsure of what to do as the crowd cheered. Putting an arm around him Jensen continued, "Let me tell you a story this poor boy has told me. You see his late brother called one of these so called visitors his 'friend'. Even brought him over to his house in a show of that friendship. Then one day something happened and his brother got hurt, badly. This so-called friend did nothing to help and let him die." The crowd booed loudly which scared Billy but Jensen held him in place. "But tonight we rectify that, tonight we set the wrong things right. Bring this so-called friend out."

A couple of men dragged Rev out in chains, the crowd jeering loudly. Rev didn't react to the crowd. Jensen continued, "This is the one Billy's brother called his friend. Well I call him his executioner. But tonight we will reverse those roles. Tonight young Billy will execute the thing that let his brother die." He pulled out a semi automatic pistol and handed it to Billy. He froze as he looked at the gun. More than a few in the crowd started to question this decision. A fact that wasn't lost on Jensen. "Come on kid," he muttered, "do what your brother would want you to do."

Billy knew what his brother would have wanted, and this wasn't it. He backed away defiantly shaking his head no. Then a new voice shouted, "Light it up!" Instinctively Rev lowered his head and tried to shield his eyes a best he could. He even reached lowered Billy's head as well. Jensen and the rest of the crowd naturally looked up. They briefly saw three grenades thrown above their head. Then all of them exploded in a flash of extremely bright light that momentarily blinded them. Three ropes dropped down from the catwalks above them, each connected to an individual in police SWAT gear that quickly descended.

One of the guards tried to blink to clear his vision, all he saw was a black mask a second before there was a couple of blurs and all he saw was ceiling. That man pointed his gun up at the ceiling and fired. The crowd froze after the shot and other two covered the crowd as best they could. "All right Jensen this show is over. Release your hostage and surrender peacefully."

"I think the ball is in my court," Jensen said. Holding the gun to Rev's temple he told them, "I have this skag right where I want him and we have you outnumbered."

The second of the three whose bulletproof vest hid a feminine figure spoke into the mic under her mask, "If you got the shot take it now."

That window was left open for a reason. Across the way Target was set up with a clear view of the podium. Getting Jensen in her sites she pulled the trigger. As he went down to a shot to the shoulder the crowd reacted, but not toward them. The flight part of 'flight or fight' kicked in and they ran for the nearest exit they could find in a mad rush. The three took that moment to rush the stage to cover Rev, Billy and Jensen. A couple of guards tried to stop them but they were quickly taken care of.

The third one of the group quickly went to Billy while the leader arrested Jensen and the female one checked on their friend. "Are you alright Rev?"

"I am fine Trish," he answered, "no permanent damage was done."

"Lucky for them then. That's twice we almost lost you like that."

"I was fully prepared to meet the Great Sprit," Rev told her. Then he added, "But I hope he does not mind that I am relieved that the meeting has been postponed."

Ace smiled under her mask, "I'm sure he understands."

* * *

A couple of hours later Billy was sitting on a curb of a nearby building. Boomer came over and sat next to him in his civvies. "Cap and Ace were able to pull a few strings and you won't be mentioned in any police report on the matter, at least not in name any way."

"Why?", he asked.

"Because you're Terry's little brother, and we all owed him a big one. Look I know you're angry with Rev, but truthfully we all failed him, not just him. I have never seen Rev work so hard or so fast to try and save anybody before."

"Then why is Terry dead?", Billy demanded.

"Because Rev only mortal," he answered, feeling a small pang as he relieved the moment over again. "It hit him harder than anybody when he couldn't save him. You don't believe me ask him yourself."

"He won't talk to me."

"Of Rev's pretty forgiving. Otherwise he wouldn't be over there wanting to talk to you. Do you want me to call him over?" Billy barely nodded his head yes. Boomer waved Rev over in the next moment.

"Are you all right William?", he asked as he came close enough. "I was afraid you were injured in the chaos."

"I'm sorry," he said meekly.

"It is alright William," Rev told him. "You were under some stress. I just wish I could have spoken to you sooner before it built to this level."

"I'm going to call your folks and let them know you're alright," Boomer said. "Why don't the two of you start that talk now." Rev sat next to Billy who remained quiet. But with a little gentle nudging they were soon deep in conversation.


	38. Chapter 38

Special Police DekaOps

37

Michelle received the signal of an unscheduled ship coming in system like the new protocol demanded. A split second later they received an encoded transmission, Commander eyes only. So she promptly transferred it to Major Pierce. A few minutes later he came barging out of his office saying that the team had to get to the orbital station immediately, including the two of them. Several more minutes later they were piled into one of the special shuttle pods and Ace took them to the station. On the way the Major filled them in on the rush.

Shortly after landing they stood n formation as the hanger crew quickly moved the pod out of the way. "This is a waste of time," Dan muttered.

"Dan," the Major warned, "remember to play nice."

"Oh I'll fake being nice no problem," he shot back. "But all of this for a gold badge?"

"We're just being courteous," he answered. "Just be glad this one didn't decide to drop in unannounced."

"I've heard stories about the Tokukyou," Target spoke up. "Are they as bad as they say?"

"We've only met a couple," Ace said.

"And I have met one myself," Rev added. "They did have an air of confidence around them."

"What he means," Dan cut in, "is that they're all a bunch of arrogant pricks."

"Dan what did I just say?", the Major sighed.

"That was me being nice," he informed him. "Do you want to hear what I really think of them? Because I'm more than willing to share. Besides Goldy isn't even here yet."

"Quiet," Michelle told him, "here comes the ship." They stood at attention as the ship came closer. The hanger crew quickly did the same. In moments a single person white and black craft passed through the hanger's force field.

It landed in front of them. A few seconds later the side hatch hissed and opened. Dan and the others were startled to see who came out wearing a Tokukyou uniform. The BlayThrottle on her wrist was altered a bit as the handle was in the middle instead of the side. Her white hair was pulled back in a ponytail but the light blue of her skin and emerald eyes were still the same. Those eyes seemed to twinkle a bit as she smiled at them, "Greeting my friends. It has been far too long a time."

"Drilian?", Ace said in disbelief. "You are the last person we expected."

"Quite," Rev agreed, "in our last encounter you said your duty was to your King."

"And that statement is still true," she answered. "A Commander from SPD personally traveled to my planet and requested my services. With the permission of my King I accompanied him back to SPD headquarters. Apparently word of my quest to retrieve my King's armor had traveled far and wide. Reports of my tenacity and skill impressed those who are above me from my understanding."

"Glad to have you aboard," Ace told her.

"Your message sounded important," the Major spoke up.

"That is correct," Drilian reached into a pocket on her uniform and retrieved a datadisc. "Command had received word of something coming through your planetary system that may require the skills you recently obtained."

"We'll show you the way to the command deck," Pierce told her.

As they followed Target asked, "Was the Tokukyou training hard?

"I feared that it would be," she answered. "Going from a Knight to a Deka seemed a taunting task. Fortunately my skills as a Fourth Level Knight allowed me to complete the training rather quickly. As I had studied intergalactic law during my quest in fear of accidently breaking them in search of my King's armor, I was pleased at how fast I was able to conquer the program."

From the rear of the group Dan mumbled, "She picked up some of the arrogance too." Besides him Michelle elbowed him the ribs and hushed him.

* * *

Inserting the datadisc into a station Michelle quickly accessed it. Above the table they were standing around a holographic image with a red tint appeared that quickly took the form of an old space cruiser with two external engines in the back. The image started rotating when the Major asked, "So what are we looking at Drilian?"

"That is part of the dilemma," she answered. "This craft has no markings, no identity beacon and has answered no hails that I am currently aware of."

"So it's a derelict?", Boomer asked.

She shook her head, "That is what my superior thought as well. However the craft has a tendency to alter its course to evade oncoming patrol ships."

"So it has a pilot," Dan mused.

"Or a working AI," Ace added. "Who knows how long that that ship has been going."

"True," Drilian agreed. "The erratic behavior is what first drew our attention to this vessel. It quickly rose on the list of priorities when a ship was able to get close enough to pick up a dark matter reading. That reading is on the disc as well"

"I got it," Michelle said as she pulled the information up. The read out appeared on the screens on the table.

Target studied the data as she leaned against the table. She looked over at Boomer who nodded, seeing the same thing. "I recognize this wave length on the dark matter. Some species have been using it in warheads in missiles. The effect similar to an matter-anti matter explosion if it's configured right." Looking up at the others she said, "It's a pretty recent development too."

"How recent?", Dan asked.

"Roughly two years," she answered.

"I think that might throw out the AI theory," Ace commented.

Looking over at Drilian Rev asked, "If the ship is carrying weapon grade dark matter why has it not been stopped by now?"

"Because the ship is using star gates so old records of them have been lost for decades if not centuries," she replied.

"They weren't totally lost," Dan said.

"That would be correct Captain," she told him. "Archivist have been working well past they're scheduled shifts trying to find them. Those we do know about have had probes sent into them to locate their exit."

Dan started looking worried, "Combine that knowledge with the usual smugglers tricks and that ship could be off the grid for days before showing up again."

"Your words ring true Captain," Drillian told him. "Fortunately researchers have discovered one of the ancient gates in your planetary system, past the planet you call Neptune. And the latest reports indicate that the ship might be heading this way."

"Drilian, is the location of the gate on the disc?", Michelle asked. She said it was. In moments the ship was replaced by a map of the solar system. A blinking light past Neptune's orbit indicated the gate's location. After a moment Michelle pulled up the location of the nearest star gate on the image, represented by a blinking light just past Saturn. "Using the old gate the ship can jump in without being noticed. Then he can jump from this one before anybody can stop him."

"That is the craft's usual pattern," Drilian said. "Some of the star gate specialist theorizes that the ship can also access the newer gates from the older ones."

"So nobody knows where he's jumping from," Dan said thinking that over. "Do you have any idea when it's going to get here?"

"I am afraid I do not, part of the reason why asked you to gather here so quickly is because I do not know. It may have entered you system already."

"Then speed is of the essence," The Major said. "The only real concern is the ship detecting us as soon as we get there. Ace, does the Tiger have a cloaking system?"

"Not built in," she answered. "And the Mark V star drive is interfering with the tech we have on the Shepard. Neither team can figure out why yet. But the guys up here came up with a sensor mask. It's not a cloak but it should hide us from his sensors long enough to get on board."

"It'll have to do," the Major said. "All right team, move out."

The field team and Drilian all said, "Rodger!", before running out.

* * *

They were able to seat Drilian in the back of the Tiger as it left the hanger. Ace pushed the engines as she headed for the SPD emergency gate between Earth and Mars and calculated a quick jump from it to the Saturn gate. From there she pushed them a little harder to cut the time to the ancient gate. "What I wouldn't give for a little in system jump ability right about now," she muttered as she kept an eye on the engine readings.

Drilian floated foreword to the main cabin. Target caught her when she missed the handle by the door. "I got you."

"My thanks my friend," she said gratefully as she got a grip on the console. "I am afraid my space training was cut short when I was given this assignment."

"It takes awhile to get you space legs," Boomer told her.

"Some longer than others," Rev commented as his antenna started to droop.

"But you got there," Boomer reminded him.

"Drilian did that ship have any offensive or defensive weapons?", Ace asked. "That report of yours didn't say."

"None involved in any encounters have said," she replied. "Those that have fired on the craft reported that the hull was more resistant to damage than usual."

"An extra think hull," Target mused. "Makes sense considering the cargo. Ace the cutters might have a hard time getting through, if at all."

"We'll get through," she said. "That's one of the test I make the station crew run when I'm there. I'll stake my reputation on it."

"That is not something to state lightly," Drilian said in total shock.

Ace smirked, "You don't know my team."

Boomer added, "You don't know what she'll do to them if they make a liar out of her."

Ace shot a look toward Dan who put a hand up to keep her in place. Looking back at Boomer he said, "That was your freebie for the day. Next time I let her take off the kid gloves."

"Oh please say something else," Ace muttered. Boomer promptly shut up and turned his attention back to his station. Drilian still looked confused at the exchange.

Seeing this Rev told her, "You get used to it."

"It is a tad unsettling to see a team I have worked with before behave in such a manner," she said.

"This is normal behavior for them," he explained, "but when the mission starts in earnest they will perform like you saw before." She took that in and nodded. But she did notice that Dan shot each of the others a look that they acknowledge with a nod. From that point on they acted like the team she witnessed before.

For the next hour and a half small talk was kept to a minimum as they studied their sensors for any sign of the craft. The closer they got to the old gate the more Dan got a sinking feeling in his gut. "Is there any kind of Ion trail out there?", he asked after a bit.

"Not since we left the gate," Target replied. "It's practically fresh space out here. Any sort of trail wouldn't be that hard to spot."

"Maybe we beat them here," Boomer offered.

"Or they didn't come this way at all," Dan said looking out the front window at a bunch of dark nothing.

"That is a rather pessimistic point of view Captain," Drilian commented.

"Just keeping the options open until we have something concrete," he said. "I know from personal experience intelligence can be wrong from time to time."

"And what do you do in those situations?"

"Depends on how off the intel was. Sometimes I had to make up a plan B on the fly." None of them saw her nod her head by only the tiniest of margins. Before she could ask anything else alarms started to go off around them.

"We got a gate opening right in front of us!" Target announced.

"Performing evasive," Ace said a split second later. The Machine tiger rolled out of the way as the portion in space right in front of them started to swirl like a whirlpool. The effect lasted long enough for a large craft to come through. Ace quickly turned the Tiger around to pursue. "Nobody said the gate was that close!"

"My apologies," Drilian told her. "I was only supplied with the information they gave me."

"Like I said," Dan told her. "Ace find a place to park this bird."

"I'm pulling up the schematics from the datadisc now," Ace said.

"What about their sensors?"

"I activated the sensor mask as soon we got the alarm. The ship's not trying to run, it looks like it's working."

"We'll find out for sure in a few moments. Ace do your thing, Drilian you might want to strap in case things get rough."

"At once Captain," she quickly headed for the back as Ace flew the Tiger closer to the craft. Catching up with the ship Ace slowed down enough to match its speed she waited until a scan was performed to find a hallway or a large room that matched the schematics they had so they could board. Finding it Ace got closer and let the magnetic clamps do the rest and grab hold and seal the bottom of the Tiger to the hull. "We're ready to go," she announced.

"Get ready to board," Dan ordered. All of them unstrapped themselves and headed for the middle of the ship and turned sideways to face the entry door.

"Activating gravity field," Target said.

"Activating cutters," Ace announced as soon as she entered. She watched the screen intently, it took a few extra moments but she got the green light, "We're through."

"Ship atmosphere is breathable," Rev said after a few moments.

"Blow it," Dan ordered, a brief muffled explosion and metallic clang preceded the entry hatch opening. Alien air hit them almost immediately, but as Rev said they could breathe it. "You cut it a little close there Ace," he commented as he walked in and noticed how close the entry point was to a back wall.

"At least we're in," she shrugged. Dan nodded and waited until everybody was out and the Tiger secured.

"Stay together as much as possible," he ordered. "Keep an eye out for some kind of access terminal. If we can get a floor plan before whoever is in charge can notice it'll make our job easier. And look out for anything suspicious, we do not need to be trapped in here."

"Rodger," they responded. Drilian held back for a moment and watched them before following.

* * *

"Now this ain't right," a dingy, scraggily looking anubis-seijin said as he looked at his external scanners. For some reason his ship gained weight suddenly. Then an alarm went off, there was a breach in the hull. His first thought was a meteor hit him, it happened enough. But the reading said it was a much larger than a meteor. In fact the emergency bulkheads should have came on to keep the ship pressurized, yet he wasn't losing any atmosphere in the ship.

Which lead him to the only other explanation, "I've been boarded. I tell ya it's getting to the point a smuggler can't to any decent business any more. Hey gasket head!"

An Igadroid covered in various metal plates walked in, "What is it."

"I think it's pirates. This far out it can't be anybody else."

"I'll deal with them."

"Good." As the Igadroid exited the pilot muttered, "Slag it I thought pirates didn't steal from their own kind."

* * *

They found a terminal soon enough. It took Boomer a few extra minutes to decode the encryption. He muttered something about an, "Original encryption program," and wishing Micelle was here. He pumped his fist slightly when he finally broke it, "Got it." Working fast he was able to download a map of the ship before he was locked out. "It's a different encryption program," he said looking it over. "It looks totally different."

"We'll work with what we have," Dan said.

Drilian spoke up, "I do not wish to question your authority Captain, but is that action wise to take?"

"Seeing how long it took him to decrypt the first one I think it is," he explained. "No offence Boomer."

"Non taken Cap," he said as transferred the map to the other's Opslicense. "So what's the plan?"

Studying the map for a couple of moments Dan said, "We try and take the bridge."

Eyebrows raised in surprise Drillian went, "A rather daring plan of action. Would it not be wiser to disable the engines?"

"Normally I'd say yes but look here," he showed her the map. "It looks like the engine room is right below the cargo bay."

"It looks that way to me too," Ace agreed.

"And if I was the one piloting this thing I'd fix it so some of that dark matter fell right on top of anybody who tried to tamper with the ship's engines."

"And we don't know how 'dirty' those engines are," Ace told her. "I saw the ion trail readings as we were coming up behind this hunk of junk, it wasn't anything within the norm."

"So the bridge it is then," Drilian concluded. "I am amazed you determined that course of action so quickly. For a moment I thought you were attempting a feat of daring bravado."

"Huh?", Boomer asked.

"She thought Cap was going to do something stupid," Target translated for him.

"Oh," Boomer said in understanding.

"We're wasting time," Dan told them. "The bridge is going to be hard enough to take as it is. Ignore any elevators and take the service ladders. The longer we can hide ourselves the better." They acknowledged what he said and headed for the nearest ladder. With Dan taking point he used his surveillance gear to make sure the area was clear before signaling everybody else down.

"He does this often?", Drilian asked Rev while waiting for him to signal.

"It is part of his standard behavior," he said. "Captain Stevens has two main priorities, the mission and the safety of the rest of us. I thought it was strange at first myself. But it works for him somehow."

"We all go home or none of us go home," Ace said repeating one of Dan's mottos. Drilian absorbed that bit of information as Ace's License went off, "Ops5 here."

"A wave of Batsuroids just past the opening," Dan said in hushed tones over the link. "I counted at least eight." There was silence for several moments, "They're waiting by one of the elevators. I got an idea."

After listening to his plan they went to work immediately. Boomer hovered in the elevator just long enough to hit the down button and get out of there. "Elevator in use," one of them Batsuroids said. They positioned themselves for the maximum amount of damage in case the target was hostile. The door opened but nobody was inside. One of them looked down and saw a device on the floor. Before they could react it exploded sending shrapnel in their direction. Dan, Ace and Target took care of any left standing with their SP-Shooters.

"The pirates are hostile," a voice said over an old intercom. "All forces to section three."

"We're pirates now?", Boomer smirked.

"Aye matey," Ace joked as they ran down the hallway.

"They knew we were on board," Rev reminded them.

"That's why we have to hurry," Dan said. Before long they came up on a force of Batsuroids and Anaroids lead by a patched up Igadroid. "Change standby. Emergency! DekaOps!"

Each of them was surrounded by a digital field. Dekametal formed around them in a burst of bright light forming a black bodysuit. A colored striped ran down their body from the top of their shoulder to their boots, a number forming on the left side of their chest. "Face on!" Dekametal flowed around their heads forming a helmet.

"Special Police!" The lights on their helmets flashed to life, "DekaOps!"

"Emergency!" Drilian said bringing her BrayThrottle up to her chest and hit the button on the front of it. "DekaKnight!" A gold and blue digital field surrounded her as the Dekametal formed around her. A silver bodysuit with dark blue highlights on her shoulders, , hips and inner legs covered her. A gold roman numeral number 6 appeared on the left side of her chest. "Face on!", Dekametal formed around her head forming a helmet with a visor with vertical slots. With her feet together, left slightly back, she held her right arm to her chest, two finger extended. "The honorable detective of the skies." Slashing her arm to the side she exclaimed, "DekaKnight!"

"Stop the intruders," the Igadroid ordered.

"Take 'em," Dan said at the same time. The two forces charged each other. Dan took on the Igadroid head on. Ace and Boomer battered through the bots with their D-Rods. At the same time they activated the Rods' energy field and sliced through the same one. Rev ran at a group of Anaroids before jumping up and landing feet first on the Batsuroid behind them. Target jumped and flipped out of the way firing her D-Shooter when she had a clean shot.

Drilian pulled down the handle of her Throttle and revved it twice before snapping it back in place. "Lightning justice," her left hand to crackle with energy. A small energy trail following her movements as she sliced through the Aneroids and Batsuroids unfortunate enough to get in her way. Her movements were almost dance like as she made her way through. At a snap of her fingers they exploded and fell to the ground.

"Glad you're on our side," Ace commented while she had a few moments to watch.

Dan was able to force the Igadroid after getting close enough to plunge his D-Knife into its' shoulder. The bot stumbled back into a control panel. "Time to get spaced," it said and slammed a fist on the panel. An alarm claxon went off a few moments before the wall next to them started to open.

"Shit," Dan muttered as the air started to rush out of the opening. He did not see that one coming.

"Nooo!", Drilian cried out as she couldn't find anything to hold on to and was sucked out the opening.

Grabbing their OpsLicense they held them over their heads, "EXO Mode!"

Lowering the License in front of them a digital field grid came from the badge and ran up their arm and over their bodies. The field expanded in places as Dekametal filled in the spaces forming black armor plating. Rockets formed at various places on their back, shoulders and waists. A breathing device formed on the lower half of their helmets. A colored number formed on the left side of their chest as they slotted their License on the right.

"Ops5 locked in!"

"Ops4 locked in!"

"Ops3 locked in!"

"Ops2 locked in!"

"Ops1 locked in!"

"I'm after Drilian," Dan announced before jumping after her.

"Give him a place to land," Ace ordered as the rest of them took care of the bots and tried to keep the Igadroid from closing the opening again.

Using the helmet's targeting computer Dan locked in on Drilian tumbling form and had the rockets on his back as high as they could go. "Got you," he said as he grabbed her around the waist. Flipping around he aimed himself at the ship. "Keep that door open!", he shouted as he saw the opening getting smaller.

"I'm working on it," Ace said. "It's an automatic system I can't stop it."

"This is going to be close," he said through gritted teeth as he read the heads up on his visor. The closer they got the more he positioned himself to protect Drilian if the opening got too small. Then it occurred to him that they wouldn't be able to make if he tried to slow them enough to stop from crashing into the barge. At the last possible second he cut the rockets on his back and used the smaller shoulder one to turn him around so his back slammed the interior wall. "Ugh," he grunted from the impact. After a few seconds the opening closed and the hall was repressurized.

"That's one way to come to a stop," Ace said as Rev checked on both of them.

"Never mind me," he said, "check on Drilian."

"I am… I'm fine," she finally said. "My armor protected me long enough for you to rescue me. Captain Stevens you have my eternal gratitude."

"Just doing my job," he said as they stood up. "What's the situation Ace?"

"Igadroid got away with a couple of bots," she told him. "I'm pretty sure they headed for the bridge."

"Then let's hurry before they have a chance to fortify their position even more," Dan said. "Drilian can you go on?"

"I am able to continue the task Captain," she answered. "I am grateful for your concern for my well being."

"What did I tell you?", Ace chimed in. "We all go home or none of do."

* * *

"The pirates were SPD?", the pilot shouted at the Igadroid. "Tell me you spaced some of them at least."

"I attempted to," the Igadroid answered, "unfortunately the ones wearing the black badges activated a power up I haven't seen before."

"A black badge unit? Oh slag we are in it deep now."

"One wearing a gold badge tumbled out but the one in charge of the black badges retrieved her."

"A tokukyou too? How worse can it get? I'm getting too old for this crap."

"SPD is approaching," one of the surviving Batsuroids announced. A few rounds of fire followed the electronic squawk in the next moment.

"The Igadroid rushed out there to see Dan standing by a similar set of controls that it used earlier, "Anybody want to bet on what this does?" He hit the control before the bot could stop him. The door to the bridge snapped shut before another wall opened up. The Igadroid was sucked outside into open space. "We're going EVA," Dan ordered and they followed it out into space.

"What the slag are they doing?", the pilot wondered. Then he got an alert that the passage way behind the door was pressurizing. The door opened up revealing DekaKnight standing there. "No, no, no, no!"

"Transporting illegal good, carrying weapon grade dark matter," Drilian said as she stepped forward. "Villain your day of judgment is at hand." Holding her BrayThrottle toward him she hit a control causing a small screen to flip down. A tiny, mechanical voice announced, "Judgment time!" A red X and a blue circle flashed between them. In the minute that was happening a special court was deciding the case. Finally the red X decided his fate. "Deletion approved."

Grabbing the handle of the BrayThrottle she revved it three times then pulled it down all the way. At the top of it a blade of energy shot out, "Sword of Virtue." She twirled around and slashed the pilot three times before stopping with her back turn toward him. "Got you," she threw the thumbs down as he was deleted.

Outside the ship Dan and the others were knocking the Igadroid, keeping it tumbling, making sure it couldn't get off a clear shot at one of them. "Line up!" Dan ordered. Falling in on either side of him he put his left hand over his shoulder toward his back. "D-Cannon!" Aiming them foreword he ordered, "Sight up!" A targeting reticule in their visors appeared. It hovered in their vision before locking in on the Igadroid, "Strikeout!" The Igadroid was destroyed in the next second.

"Captain Stevens I cannot seem to stop this craft," Drilian said over the link.

"Just get us in Drilain," Dan told her. "Ace can take care of it."

"Acknowledged." Finding the control in the bridge Drilian opened the wall and let them in. In moments Ace was in there and going over the controls. In less time than that she had them at a full stop.

She smiled behind the helmet, "That was easier that I thought it was going to be."

"Ace are the star maps still intact?", Dan asked.

"Let me check." After a moment she said, "It looks complete to me."

"Boomer contact the orbital base, tell Michelle to send some techs to guard this thing and arrange for command to pick this up. Also tell her were going to hook up a D-Hack and try to download the computer's star maps. More than one Alienizer probably knows about those old gates, we need to cut out that advantage as soon as possible."

"That was your plan all along," Drilain said, "to discover the location of the ancient star gates."

"It was a secondary objective," he admitted. "My main goal was to stop this thing. Since we were here we might as well help command complete those archives while we're at it."

* * *

When they got back to the orbital station they convinced Drilain to stay and rest up a bit instead of leaving right away. She walked the halls to the field team quarters with Michelle and Dan, "Thank you for your hospitality my friends."

"There's no point to rush of," Michelle told her, "besides we hardly had any time to talk the last time you were here. And it's good to just unwind from a mission every so often."

"It is my understanding that space is limited on this station. Where will I be resting?"

"You can stay in my room," she said.

"Will I not be putting you out?" she asked.

"Not exactly," she said squeezing Dan's arm and giving her a wicked grin.

"Not in front of the guest," he told her. "Michelle's room is over there. If you need anything we'll either be in the rec room or in this room over here."

"Of course, thank you again my friends." Driian entered the room and made sure the door was locked. Pulling an SPD communication disc out of her pockect she placed it on the desk in the room and activated it.

A bald head with pointed ears stared at her, "Report."

"The mission was accomplished like I said it would be," she said.

"And your observations?"

"Captain Stevens preformed exactly like I thought he would. He was even able to surprise me with his tactical ability."

"So you're saying he's a candidate."

Drilian bit her lip, "I receive the feeling he would be… resistant to the idea."

"He'll come around. I'll observe myself to make the final determination. Remember you cannot tell him about this or any of his unit, not even his commander. Is that understood?"

"I hear and I will obey Commander Solen." She ended the transmission and stared at the disc for a long time. Captain Stevens was an honorable man and in the short time they knew each other he apparently trusted her. Now if only she didn't feel like she was betraying that newly won trust by keeping this from him.


	39. Chapter 39

Special Police DekaOps

38

The one thing every member of the field team looked forward to was sleep. It was the only part of the day they could relax and not worry about an alarm going off. They knew in the back of their minds there was a chance but it hadn't happened. In the middle of this particular night the alarm sounded like a roar as it went off. Dan sat up quickly in his cot, taking a second to remember where he was. "The world better be coming to an end." Getting dressed as quickly as he could he ran out of his room, the rest of his team right after him. Grabbing a tech he demanded, "What's going on?"

"We have an incoming craft," she answered. "It's an alpha code signal, immediate clearance to land."

"This is a hell of a time for a surprise inspection," Target yawned.

"Get to the hanger," Dan ordered. More or less to himself he mumbled, "This had better be important." When they arrived the hanger doors had already started to open. "Attention," at his order they snapped in place. They stood there until the craft landed and the door began to close. After it closed they still stood at attention waiting for the shuttle craft to open. Several minutes later they started glancing at Dan when nobody came out. Finally it opened around the time Dan was contemplating opening the shuttle himself.

A grey, bald alien with pointed ears walked out and eyed everyone in view. Dan fought hard to keep his face neutral as he noticed the gold badge on his chest. A Tokukyou, great. "I am Commander Solen," he said. "Who is in charge?"

"That would be me," Dan stepped forward, "Captain Daniel Stevens…"

"I am aware of who you are Captain," Solen commented as he walked around the others, "and who these people are. Where is Major Pierce?"

"He's at home with his wife," Dan answered, "sleeping sir."

"That will not do," Solen said. "There is a fifth member of your unit. Where is he?"

"Also at home with his wife sleeping, sir."

"Is that all you humans do Captain?"

"It is three in the morning…. sir."

"That doesn't matter," Solen snapped. "An SPD officer should be ready at a moment's notice. I don't need all of you anyway. Take me to your command center. I'll let you know what is going on there."

Dan glanced over at Ace who nodded, "if you would follow me Commander."

Solen did so muttering something about subordinates. As soon as he was out of the room Dan immediately turned toward Michelle, "Get the Major up here now."

"He's not going to like this," she told him.

"He can take it up with Goldy," Dan said as he exited the hanger.

* * *

"A group of criminals got past your human gaze," Solen ranted as he paced in front of them. "With as many units on this planet this is unacceptable. Common thugs are getting by you…"

"And me and my team can't be everywhere at once," Dan spoke up getting fed up with this.

"Did I say you could speak Captain?", Solen snapped.

"I will not stand by as my team gets blasted foe something beyond our control," Dan said holding his ground. "So unless you plan on giving this same speech to the other units…"

Solen cut him off, "I am not visiting the other units Captain. Nor am I blaming your unit so do not assume you know what I am saying."

"Then what is the point of this Commander?"

Solen seemed to study him for a moment, "Very well then. In the northeast of this… country… we have reports of a gang of smugglers that have set up operations."

"I haven't heard anything about that," Michelle said as she ran her fingers over her keyboard.

"And a superior is talking," Solen snapped.

"And she is part of the senior staff," Dan stepped forward, resisting the urge to get in his face, "her input, my entire team's input invaluable before a mission."

"Then it shouldn't be a problem since your team is not going." The others couldn't hide their surprise as Dan just eyed him. "You alone will be accompanying me on this mission Captain. From my understanding you have a particular set of skill that should prove useful. In fact the rest of you unit isn't needed now."

Holding up a hand to keep them in place when it looked like the Commander just dismissed them Dan informed him, "As I said, my team's input is valuable. Sometimes they see something I overlooked or come up with another option I didn't consider."

"Do you have no pride in your own abilities Captain?" Why did that sound like a challenge to him?

"I'm not so prideful that I'm blinded to my own weaknesses." Michelle flinched a little, add in his tone of voice and that was close to crossing a line.

"Very well Captain," Solen eventual conceded, "your unit may look at the data. But they will not speak out of turn."

An hour later the Commander was finished briefing Dan and the Major finally showed. To say he had a few choice words for the Commander was an understatement. He started at coming there unannounced and went from there. While Solen was in the hanger waiting he was still going at it. Solen tried to brush him off saying, "You can take it up with Command, Major."

"Oh you better believe I will be talking to Command," Pierce informed him. "Commander Scorp set things up that no member of a black badge unit can be used without the Commander's consent."

"That does not apply to the Tokukyou."

"Funny, he told me that exactly who he had in mind when he authorized that."

"It does not matter Major. Captain Stevens, who was the officer in charge at the time, already agreed to be part of this operation." The Major had a few more choice words for that when Dan walked out of the ready room in full gear. "Excellent time Captain, that was faster than I expected you to be capable of."

Cap in hand Dan just looked at him, realizing it would be better to keep his mouth shut. Instead he looked over at Pierce and said, "Don't send out that complaint just yet. I want to cosign on it when I get back."

"Come on Captain," Solen said getting into his shuttle. "There is no need to delay at this point in time." Again Dan thought it was best to remain quiet. Instead he looked back at the doors to Ace who looked sympathetic. Putting his hat on he followed the commander inside.

* * *

The trip there was as quiet as a tomb outside of the gentle beeps of the controls panels. The Commander hadn't engaged in any small talk and Dan didn't volunteer to start any. So while Solen piloted the ship Dan studied the map of the area Michelle had acquired for him. "You rely on your team too much," Solen said out of the blue. "As the leader you should be able to assess any situation at a moment's notice."

"I trust my team to do the job they were trained for," he said not taking his eyes off the map. "I know what my strengths are and I know theirs. It's why we lasted this long."

"And yet there is a death under your command." Holding his tongue was getting harder and harder with each passing second.

"No plan is one hundred percent fool proof, and nobody can see everything at once."

"SPD officers are supposed to be the best of the best. That sort of mistake is inexcusable."

"I'm not sure what sort of opponents the Commander has faced," Dan choose his words carefully, "but the ones I've faced have a tendency to think on their own."

"There's no need to be insulted Captain. I was just making an observation. We've arrived," Solen said before Dan could say anything else. He quickly landed the ship and exited before Dan could undo his seat straps. "Come Captain, you relaxed on the way here." Dan slowly counted to ten before following him out.

A few miles from the ship Solen finally let Dan take the lead. He found a path off the regular trail in moments and waved for Solen to follow him for a change. The entire time he could feel the alien stare at him. He commented to ten for the third time and tried to pay attention to his surroundings, looking for anything that seemed off. The occasional broken twig and a stepped on plant pointed out a direction, "This way."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I'm not seeing any tracks," he answered. "Somebody is trying to cover up their tracks as best they can. Or something else's tracks."

"And what could that be Captain?"

"Well the first three things that came to mind all rhyme with droid." Really keeping his senses on their surrounding more he cautiously moved forward. After a bit Solen started to notice the apparent trail and started taking the lead a little. After a few minutes he reached out and grabbed the Tokukyou by the shoulder, "Hold it."

"Why?", he demanded. "It's obvious they headed this way."

"Yeah," Dan agreed as he picked up a small stone. Without a word he threw it in front of them. It disintegrated in an instant when it hit an energy field. Solen stared at the spot, "A little too obvious."

"How did you know about that? There was no indication of anything here."

"I didn't hear any wildlife in front of us," he said. "It's a tracking trick my Grandfather picked up from an old Indian, the wild will let you know when something shouldn't be there by their silence." Pulling out his OpsLicense he did a quick scan, "The field goes a ways in both directions. Looks like it goes underground for a few meters too."

"So digging out way under it is out of the question," Solen said. "So know what do we do Captain?"

"We decided to either go left or right. There has to be a flaw in this thing somewhere that we can use." Solen decided for them to go left. Meanwhile Dan heard something in the distance behind them and tapped the back of his right hand once.

* * *

That hole turned out to be a small waterfall. According to Dan's reading the field didn't go past the water. "This is going to be tight," he muttered to himself as he started through. Keeping his back to the stone wall and ignoring the water pouring down on him he slowly made his way through the field. While Solen followed Dan surveyed the area for any sensors or guards. "I should have brought some soap," he said lightly. "I could have had my morning shower done already."

"Now is not the time for levity Captain," Solen scolded.

"It's either that or punch you in the face," Dan said under his breath.

"What was that Captain?"

"You're slowing down the pace, pick it up." Solen didn't get a chance to respond as Dan headed toward a mountain range in the distance. According to the data Michelle gave him there were several larger caves in that direction.

* * *

A glowstick in hand Dan studied the ground beneath them for any signs of who they were after. He had picked up a couple of signs leading them in this direction, nothing so obvious that warning bells went off in his head. But still he kept an eye open for just that. On the other hand Solen was noticing something on his own, "Why do you keep doing that?"

"Doing what Commander?"

"Tap the back of your hand. I've seen you do it once outside the field, past the opening of the field and on the way here. You tapped it at least twice since we entered this cavern. What possible purpose could it serve?"

"Force of habit," Dan told him. "When my unit has to split up we signal our location to each other so we know where everyone is. It cuts down on the friendly fire before the enemy fires on us."

"And a proper Deka officer would be able to capture the enemy before they were noticed," Solen said. "Out of my way I see something." As he barged past Dan gave in to the urge to point at the back of his head and make a shooting motion. It didn't make him feel any better. This was going to be a long night if this turned out to be the wrong cave.

"You see anything?" Dan called out.

"Nothing," at least he was smart enough to not shout it out. "The light reflected off of something on the wall."

"Really?", Dan hurried over to where he was and took a closer look at the wall. There was something there alright.

"Is that diamond?", Solen asked now that he got a better look at it too.

"That what it looks like to me," Dan told him. "You starting to think this smuggling operation is a mining one too?" The Tokukyou grunted in agreement. Waving the light around he found what looked like a passageway and indicated that Solen should follow him.

Coming to a crossroad of sorts Dan dropped the glowstick in the passage way they were in and activated another one. "You can use your License to map the way we came," Solen said sounding annoyed. "There's no need to for anything so archaic."

"I'm not going to have time to study a map in case we have to retreat in a middle of a firefight." He was getting real sick of this jackass questioning or challenging everything he did. Dan was getting close to telling him off once and for all. Solen started to say something but Dan held up a hand to keep him quiet. Partially because if he didn't Dan would have gone off on him and he didn't want to listen to a lecture from the Major later. But mainly he did it because he thought he heard something. A few seconds later he heard it again. Solen did too and both of them headed for it.

Following the sound they discovered a larger interior cavern. Anaroids were all over the place, a select few equip with a laser drilling rig. Those around the went in when the rig stopped and cleared the debris, searching for the same stone Dan and Solen saw earlier. In the center of it all was a tiger-seijin with a scar over his left eye, a dull white orb in the socket. "Get a move on ya bucket of bolts!", he bellowed. "That Zalenite isn't going to mine itself."

"Zalenite?", Dan murmured. "That's a new one on me."

"It's not surprising you haven't heard of it Captain," Solen said. "The stone is used as a focal point in a process I believe your scientists refer to as 'cold fusion'."

"As in nuclear?"

Solen nodded, "Strange though, the stone used in the process is several times larger than the ones they are they are mining."

"Maybe they're going for something smaller," Dan mused, "something man sized maybe."

"That wouldn't be feasible," Solen told him. "Even if they planning arming one of the robots with one it would still be too large and cumbersome to be used efficiently. However," he said after thinking it over, "it might be possible to build a new generation of robots powered by the process."

"And you're not making that sound like a good thing."

"Imagine an Anaroid several times stronger and more resilient than they are now," he informed him. "We have to stop this now. Do you see any guards?"

Something pressing against his back made Dan say, "I think I know where a couple of them are." They carefully looked back to see five Anaroids. The guns on their backs kept them in place as the others took his OpsLicense and SP-Shooter out of their holsters while taking the BlayThrottle off of Solen's wrist. Finding Dan's handcuffs during a quick search they bound their writs behind their backs.

"Well ain't this rich," the tiger said as the Anaroids brought them down. Forcing them to their knees the fifth Anaroid gave him the License, Throttle and SP-Shooter. "So you Deka think you could get the jump on us huh? Just who do you think I am?"

"A guy without honor," Dan said.

"What do you know about me?", he roared. Yeah that was a bullseye on a nerve.

"I knew a tiger," Dan told him, "he quickly became one of my closest friends. He told me enough about your culture to know you're just a total dick." His head snapped to the side as the tiger backhanded him.

"And I know enough about you Deka to know he's the dangerous one," the tiger pointed at Solen. Putting the Throttle on the ground he used the SP-Shooter to blast it several times. As it laid on the ground sparking he said, "I'll deal with this later," and tossed the License to the side. Dan tracked it to where it landed. Although he did realize Solen was watching him the entire time. "To prove you wrong and show you I do have some honor I will let you say one last thing before I kill you."

"All right, always have a plan B." Dan told him as he twisted his wrists around so he could tap the back of his hand twice. Solen and the tiger both stared at him for a few seconds before the SP-Shooter was shot out of his hands. The tiger tried to locate the shooter when the Anaroids behind Dan and Solen were taken out with two shots.

"What the slag?", the tiger shouted as five people in Dekasuits jumped down and ran toward them. Taking care of a small unit of resistance Ace, Target and Rev covered them while Boomer and Michelle started uncuffing them.

"Took you long enough," Dan said as his wrists were freed. "My License was thrown over there."

"I already grabbed it," Michelle said as she put it in his hand. "You can find a way to thank me later."

"How..?", Solen started a loss for words.

"Cap gave me the signal to follow when he put on his hat before you guys left," Ace explained. "He let us know where you were as soon as we arrived."

"By tapping the back of his hand," the Tokukyou said in understanding.

"The benefits of being part of a team," Dan said. "Michelle, cover the Commander, he's a little naked right now," and he motioned to the damaged Throttle on the ground.

"You got it," Michelle said as she grabbed Solen and took him to cover.

To the rest of them he said, "Let's show Goldy how it's done. Emergency! DekaOps!" In a quick red digital flash he was suited up in his Dekasuit. "Special Police."

The lights on the side of their helmets flashed to life as they shouted, "DekaOps!"

"Get these slaggin' bastards," the tiger ordered.

"Take them down," Dan said as they moved. A few of the Anaroids decided Solen would be the easier target and went after him. Michelle was trying hard to keep them from him. She was so determined to protect him she almost didn't see the ones with the guns trying to flank them from the left.

Quickly running a finger down the keypad on her arm she quickly spread them wide, "Barrier shield." The energy field formed the same time they fired. It was a standstill until Rev and Boomer took them out. "Thanks guys," she told him.

"It is not a problem Michelle," Rev said. "We are a team after all."

Boomer added, "Besides do you have any idea what Cap would do to us if we let anything happen to you?"

"And you better remember it," she said with a smile behind her helmet.

In the ruckus they lost track of the tiger. "You slaggin' bastards are in for it now," he bellowed from a ledge above them. Standing by a control the Anaroids stopped fighting and backed away from them. "Here's a little trick I picked up from the Iczians." He hit the control and several hidden lights flashed to life. They realized what was happening the moment they started to lift off the ground. "An anti-gravity field, you're helpless now."

"You don't get out much do you?" Boomer asked.

Taking out their License they held them over their heads as Dan shouted, "EXO mode!" Bringing the License down they were covered in a grid that was quickly filled with Dekametal form black armor. Rockets formed on various places as a breathing apparatus formed on the lower half of their helmets. A colored number formed on the left side of their chest as they slotted the OpsLicense into the right.

"Ops5 locked in!"

"Ops4 locked in!"

"Ops3 Locked in!"

"Ops2 locked in!"

"Ops1 locked in!"

"I finally get to see this live," Michelle said as she and Solen held on to whatever was bolted down.

"Nice trick but it's not going to matter," the tiger said. "Slag them now!"

"Target the bots with the drilling rigs," Dan ordered. Those Anaroids were positioned outside the field and tried and tried to take aim at them. They were able easily avoid the beams and were able to pick them off inside the field. Not programmed to operate in zero gravity the remaining Anaroids were quickly disabled. Turning his attention to the tiger Dan said, "There's nowhere to run."

He grabbed some Zalenite and tried to do just that. Michelle was able to get out of the field and cut him off. "You're not going anywhere furball."

"Target orders," Dan said as the area went dark as the tiger was scanned. A red x and blue circle flashed between hem before setting on the X," Eliminate target. D-Cannons!" Reaching back they appeared from the left rocket pod on their back. "Sight up," a targeting reticule appeared in their visors, in moments it turned green. "Strikeout!" Five beams penetrated the field and deleted the tiger in moments.

* * *

Michelle was able to use the computer system in her suit to hack the tigers computer and deactivate the antigrav field and lower the energy field around the area. Marking the location to send to Command Dan led them back to the Shepard as Solen had already left. They found him by his shuttle craft as a third vessel started to land a few yards away. "Captain can I speak with you for a moment?", Solen asked.

"Now what?", he muttered as he walked forward, hat in hand. Solen directed him to the other ship. The hatch opened revealing a familiar face. "Drilian? What are you doing here?" He also wondered why she wouldn't look at him, almost ashamed for some reason. Then he noticed the person exiting behind her, "Commander Trytan?"

"Hello again Captain Steven, it's good to see you again."

Looking at all three of them he demanded, "What is going on?"

"Apparently I painted too good a picture of you in my report from a while back Captain," Trytan told him a little chagrinned.

"It was more than that Trytan," Solen said standing in front of Dan. "I have seen the reports submitted by Major Pierce as well as the training reports of Commander Mynx. They all paint a stellar picture of you Captain. The observations of my subordinate here," Drilian looked even more ashamed than before, "combined with my experience with this little test…"

"This was a test?", Dan asked in disbelief. God he was sick of these things.

"This wasn't a trick Captain," Solen quickly said. "This was an actual assignment. I wanted to see you in the field personally. In my opinion you are an excellent candidate for the Tokukyou." Dan dropped the hat in his hands on hearing that. Rev overheard it from where he was and told the rest of them. They started to look worried as they watched what was happening. "You're a little rough around the edges of course, and a little too dependent on others in my estimations. But we can work on that."

"You dropped your hat Captain," Trytan said picking it off the ground.

"No need to be concerned with something so frivolous," Solen said. Holding out a hand he continued, "Allow me to officially welcome you as our newest member." Dan stared at the hand in front of him. Slowly his hand started up.

Taking the hat from Trytan he turned around and put it on his head as he walked away. Solen stood there with his hand still out looking totally confused about what just happened. Trytan smirked a little as he leaned in closer, "I told you he wouldn't go for it, but did you listen?"

"Captain", Drilian ran after him. "I acted dishonorably in using our newly forged friendship in such a manner. Even though I was ordered not to say anything I still should have found a way. I will do whatever I have to do to make this up to you.

Standing there thinking it over he eventually said, "I know a little something about following orders you don't agree with and go against what you stand for. I'll get over it, don't worry about it. As far as I'm concerned you're welcome in our part of the galaxy anytime."

"Thank you Captain, I will find a way to make amends and restore my honor." He patted her on the shoulder and went back to the Shepard. Dan wasn't sure what to make of the looks they were giving him at the moment.

"You turned down a Tokukyou position?", Ace finally asked for them.

"I can't be the only one who's done that."

"I believe you are," Rev told him.

"Then I'm the first at something."

"Why?", Ace asked. "Most SPD guys I've talked to would give their right arm to get in."

Again Dan had to think it over. "Honestly, I'm more of a team player than what I've seen of those guys. And if most of the people I'd have to deal with were like him I'd be forced to kick their teeth in." Walking up the ramp he added, "Besides I wouldn't force you pain in the necks off on my worst enemy."

Smiling a bit Ace said, "We love you too Cap."

"Get on the jet," he told them.

Michelle stood next to him, "Am I sitting on your lap on the way back?" Dan shook his head and went deeper in the jet. "You are no fun on a mission."

"You," ace walked up to her, "are the only person who can get away with that."

"I know, isn't it great?" Looking back at Solen Michelle said, "But I am extremely glad he turned them down." Ace nodded in agreement as they entered the Shepard. In moments it was air born and headed home.


	40. Chapter 40

Special Police DekaOps

39

After all this time Chatrox was still trying to figure out this mysterious gap in the readings he recorded from the armor. Unfortunately he never really had the time to properly examine it ever since the latest Earth First fiasco. When Jansen got himself arrested during that surprise raid he honestly expected things to fall apart. Instead the humans seemed to turn toward him for leadership. It sickened him to no end. Still it was a good thing he decided he had "another engagement" that night or he might have been arrested as well. Or the very least had to been forced to reveal what he really was. And he might have had to, if he was correct about who was in that police raid based on who the alien they kidnapped was. What time he did have was limited, although he was able to free up some time by giving some of his duties to those under him. But most of that was taken up by his real job. He had to bend over backwards in some cases to keep his clients happy. He had to give two, so far, a discount to appease them. This was something he had to correct and fast before others decided they wanted one as well. What little spare time he did have was spent trying to figure out the reading.

And each try always lead him to an open field outside the city. He checked everything around the field and found nothing out of place. Not the grounds, not the trees nothing. He even checked the building nearby and saw nothing out of the ordinary to his trained eye. Walking around the field he looked at the grass below, there had to be something here. The signal disappeared for a good twenty minutes before showing back up again.

"Have you found what you're looking for yet sir?", his driver asked. This was the only human he could barely stand to be around, just for the fact his patience seemed endless.

"Not yet," he answered.

"We'll find it eventually," he called back. Then again his near endless optimism often quickly got on his nerves.

"Perhaps," he replied feeling disgusted with himself. This had to be a drop off point, that had to be the answer. SPD and Stevens were too smart to take anything back to their base directly in case somebody tried what he did. This was wasting his time. Walking back to the human he said, "Or perhaps not."

"Too bad," he said. Walking back to the road he added, "I made some inquires about that building nearby."

"Why would you do that?"

"I thought it might make a decent place to set up a proper headquarters. People would take us a little more seriously if we didn't meet up in secret." It would also give them another proper target to aim at, but he didn't say that out loud. "Funny thing though Mr. Rockwell, I can't find who owns it."

Chatrox stopped and looked at him, "Really?"

"In fact I can't find any record of this property anywhere. It's like it doesn't exist." Chatrox looked back at the field then to where the building was. He knew how SPD worked, but he also knew how governments worked as well. And this one was no different. Maybe Stevens wasn't as intelligent as he gave him credit for.

Before he could say anything they heard a jet overhead and it was getting closer. Running back to the field they stayed in the tree line and saw the ground they were just on open up. Then a sickenly familiar black and white jet appeared out of the air and quickly descended into the hole. When it was inside the opening it quickly closed. Chatrox stared the entire time. "That was an SPD symbol on the jet," the driver said.

"Yes," Chatrox agreed with a sinister grin, "yes it was."

"They have a secret base, they're not supposed to have those. We got them. We can blackmail them to get the skags off planet. We might actually win."

"Not we," Chatrox removed an alien gun from his coat and turned around, aiming it at the human.

"Mr… Mr… Rockwell…", he stammered as he stared at the gun.

"I, on the other hand, have the end in plain sight." His eyes went reptilian and his grin grew larger as he watched the human's reaction. A pull of the trigger and the human was atomized to dust. "I always knew it was a good thing that idiot couldn't pay for the second gun." Sneering a bit before looking back at the field he turned invisible and calmly walked away.

Minutes later Dan, Rev and Target ran into the field, SP-Shooters drawn. "I am not reading any other humanoid life signs in the immediate area Captain," Rev said as he waved a scanner around. "It is like they said, the life sign was here one second and gone the next."

"Teleporter?", Dan asked.

"Michelle said there was an energy reading right before it disappeared," Target told him. "She's running the data now but it didn't look like any teleporter signature she'd seen."

"Damn it," he grunted. Grabbing his License he nearly shouted, "I want whoever was supposed to be watching the outside sensors in my office now!"

He was a little surprised to hear the Major answer back, "Ace got to him first and is reading him the riot act. But if you want to chew his ass out you're going to have to get in line."

"We've been here over a year, this shouldn't have happen now."

"I know Dan, but we grew complacent and took things for granted. I'm going to keep an ear out to our contacts in the media and we both know Michelle is going to be watching the newsfeeds like a hawk."

"I know," he barely said out loud. "Major I recommend we don't use the hanger for the immediate future unless absolutely necessary."

"I agree," he said after a few moments, "at least until we know for sure. Now if you'll excuse me I have to see if there anything left of that tech."

Still disgusted Dan put his License away as Rev called out, "Captain!" Dan looked over and saw him kneeling over something.

"What did you find Rev?", he asked as him and Target ran over.

"Ash," he answered, "but the ground is not burnt." Dan saw what he was talking about. "This seems familiar to me for some reason." Something about it was nagging Dan too, he just couldn't place it.

"Take a sample for testing," he told him. "Target…"

"Check the weapon database for something than can turn a person to ash," she said knowing where he was going.

"Start with our old case files," he told her. "Particularly the early ones. If Rev and me are right we dealt with something like this before."

"But we only had one life sign reading," Rev reminded him. "If it was a suicide attempt the area would be more heavily damaged."

"I know," Dan told him "We just have to figure out who fired the weapon."

* * *

In the weeks that followed they only learned a couple of things. The ash Rev discovered contained human DNA, and they did deal with a weapon that caused that effect when fired. A quick check with command revealed it was still safely locked away. Which meant there was another one out there. The only problem was it hadn't shown up again since then. The lone bright spot in the whole thing was there was no mention of the "secret base" anywhere in the news. A small comfort but it still made them uneasy. But they tried not to think about it that much.

In order to keep his sanity Michelle was able to talk Dan into going topside every so often. Fortunately it was taking less and less effort to do so. Although it did take the occasional threat. "Are you ever going to call in Hawaii?", he asked as they walked down the street. "Or are you going to hold that over my head forever?"

"Why should I give up something that works so well?"

"Even if I didn't want said favor to begin with?"

"Stop youy bitching," she told him. "Be happy, you're with an extremely beautiful woman on a gorgeous day."

"I know, you're right," he said. "I just can't shake this feeling the other shoe is about to drop."

"Unfortunately that particular shoe isn't under our control. If it drops it drops. We'll worry about it then."

"That's never been my style," he informed her.

"I know, if the rest of you weren't so cute that would have turned me right off of you," she grinned.

Smiling back he said, "Lucky for me then."

"You never did tell me where we were going."

"I figure we head to that café you like."

"We're almost becoming regulars."

"The moment they start knowing our order before we say anything we start looking for a new place." Dan didn't realize there was somebody right in front of him until he ran into him, "Oh I'm sorry." Getting a good look at the guy he wished he kept going.

"My fault entirely," the man said. "Forgive me, Chad Rockwell," he held out a hand that Dan ignored.

"I'm familiar with who you are," was all he said.

"Yes I guess the media has that effect," he said unfazed. "Judging from your reactions I guess you're not a believer. To each their own as they say." He walked off as Dan watched him. He definitely knew that guy from somewhere, now where in the hell was it?"

"Do you want me to start looking again when we get back?", Michelle asked him.

He had to think it over for a moment, "No, I'm done with that guy. It's probably my imagination any way. You seen one sleazy guy you've seen them all right?"

"That's one way to look at it." Taking his arm she said, "Come on, I already know what I want to order."

What Dan didn't see was Rockwell dip into an alley and watch them as they continued on. He saw Stevens take one more look behind him before returning his attention to the woman he was with. He grinned with satisfaction as he quite literally disappeared into the alley. Stevens wasn't going to know what hit him.

* * *

"I need the field team to the Command Room now!" the Major's voice bellowed over the intercom. All of them stopped what they were doing and rushed there. The Major didn't wait for them to get in line as he said, "We have a major problem. A literal army of bots is attacking downtown."

"When did this start?", Dan asked.

"I'm not sure but we just intercepted the emergency call a minute ago."

"I can get the Shepard prepped and ready to go in no time," Ace said.

"I don't think we have the time," Dan told her. "Have the garage get one of the jeeps ready. Michelle, make sure the police concentrate on clearing the area of civilians."

"I'm already in contact with them," she said. Looking up at him she asked, "The other show dropped?"

"We'll deal with it," he told her. "We don't have time people, move!" They didn't even change into their civilian gear as they ran for the elevator

* * *

The drive there was tense as they broke every speed limit on the way to get there. Unfortunately what they were looking for wasn't that hard to find. Smoke could be seen before they hit the city limits. Behind the wheel Ace wished their jeep could go faster. And she wasn't the only one with that thought. Back at Base Michelle was doing everything she could to make sure the local police didn't see them while making sure the evacuation of the civilians wasn't hampered. They found a wave in no time as a few Igadroids was leading the charge. Standing up in the jeep Boomer muttered, "Oh geez."

"Let's do it people," Dan told him as he jumped out of the jeep. They ran toward the bots. Not caring who saw at the moment they had their OpsLicense out. "Emergency! DekaOps!" A digital flash and they were in their Dekasuits. The bots didn't stop their wave of destruction as they continued toward them.

Target jumped over the front line, twisting so she could get off several shots with her D-Shooter. As soon as she landed she spun around and kicked an Anaroid in the head. Turning back around she fired at an Anaroid trying to come up behind her. There were more right behind it. "This is going to suck."

Boomer and Rev stormed through slicing away with their D-Rods. They kept moving to make sure the bots couldn't get a grip or a target lock on them. A couple of Batsuroids were able to get between them and separate them. Boomer tried to stop them but one of the Igadroids grabbed him from behind and threw him to the ground. It had its cross blade raised over its head ready to strike. Rev jumped over the bots separating them and planted both feet into its back before it could do so. Boomer took that opening to grab his D-Shooter and fire at the bots coming at Rev. "Thanks buddy," he said as he scrambled to his feet.

"Do not thank me yet Robert," Rev said as he looked at the group surrounding them.

Ace didn't waste any time getting out her D-Shot and blasting away. She was knocking them down left and right but more seemed to be coming. Before she knew it Target had her back and joined her in firing her D-Shot. After several shots Target ended up asking, "There is an end to these guys right?"

"We're going to find out one way or another," Ace told her. But honestly she wasn't really seeing an end of these things either.

"Ugh," Dan grunted as he went down to a knee. Four of the Igadroids decided to focus on him for some reason. Grabbing his D-Knife he plunged it through the foot of one of them and into the asphalt. It pinned it there just long enough so he could get to his feet. Blocking everything thrown at him Dan grunted as he realized they were backing him up. Making some space he grabbed his holdout D-Shooter and got out three shots before it was knocked out of his hand. Kicking the closest one away he pulled his D-Colt and fired point blank right into its head.

A Batsuroid grabbed him from behind and pinned his arms to his side. Its head sparked as Target shot it. Ace ran in and plunged her D-Knife into one of the Igadroids' back as they pushed through. "You're getting sloppy Cap," Ace told him as they faced off with the bots.

"I need some eyes in the back of my head," he commented.

"Help me!" They turned their heads to the alley behind them. "Somebody help me please!"

"You have got to be joking," Target said.

Dan looked back at the bots then at the alley, "Ace…"

"We got this," she told him. "Help whoever that is and get your butt back here."

Despite the situation Dan had to smile, "Yes ma'am." Running into the alley he tried to locate the person screaming. That person practically fell into view as he landed on his ass from one of the adjoining alleys and kept backing up. It took Dan a second to realize it was Rockwell, but he still had to save him.

Rockwell looked terrified as he saw him running toward him, "Please you got to help me!" He got close enough to see an Igadroid stalking Rockwell.

Getting between them Dan pulled out his D-Rod and tried to keep the bot at bay. "They way I came should be clear," Dan told Rockwell. "Get out of here now!"

Rockwell quickly stood up, "Sure thing." Then he calmly added, "Stevens."

"What?", Dan started to turn around a Rockwell jammed something into his side. A large electoral current ran through his body. Eventually it overloaded the Dekasuit and it faded away as he fell to the ground. Rockwell kicked him to make sure he was out.

Taking the OpsLicense out of its holster he told the Igadroid, "Get him out of here." The Igadroid nodded and picked him up. As it carried him away Rockwell pulled a communicator out of his jacket, "Target acquired. Terminate distraction tactics."

In the street the bots stopped attacking and overpowering them and retreated to where they came from. Ace and the others just watched in disbelief as it happened. "Did we just win?", Boomer asked totally stunned.

"I don't think so," Ace told him.

"Where is the Captain?", Rev asked looking around.

"We heard a civilian and he went to help him out," Ace explained. "Ops5 to Ops1," she said into her License. He didn't answer. "Ops5 to Ops1 come in." Again silence. "Cap answer me."

"He went this way," Target said going into the alley. They all searched every turn off they could find and still found nothing.

"Ops5 to OpsBase, did Cap check in with you?"

"We haven't heard anything," Michelle answered. "What's going on?"

She was almost reluctant to say, "He's missing."

* * *

With one hell of a headache greeting him as he woke up Dan tried to figure out where he was. The first thing he noticed as his eyes started to focus was his gear a few feet in front of him, his OpsLicense right on top. That's when he noticed his arms were outstretched and tied to a couple of poles, but he was on his knees for some reason. "Finally you're awake." Looking around he saw Rockwell standing to the side with an Igadroid. Coming closer he continued, "I was starting to think I killed you. I am going to kill you Stevens but not just yet."

"So Earth First getting that desperate now?", Dan asked, trying to figure out what was going on. And try to buy some time to escape if he could.

"Those idiots weren't as useful as I thought they would be," he said. "Never trust a human to do anything right."

"Who are you?"

"Really Stevens, I thought it would have been obvious by now." He watched as Rockwell changed right before his eyes, right into a chameleon-seijin.

"Chatrox!" Dan struggled against his bindings to get at him. The Agent laughed at the effort.

"I always knew you weren't that smart Stevens." Grabbing his face he got in close, "I said long ago humans didn't belong in the Ops program."

"So says the piece of shit with the illegal genetic enhancements," Dan spat. Chatrox just sneered as he let him go. "Are you going to kill me now or what?"

"Are you in that much of a hurry to die human?" Grabbing a knife off a nearby table he pressed it against Dan's cheek, "Like I said Stevens, I am going to kill you. But not yet. Practically ripping the sleeve off his arm Chatrox cut into his forearm. Dan grunted but didn't give Chatrox the pleasure of hearing him cry out. Collecting some of the blood in a test tube the Agent told him, "I want you to see what's going to happen to your precious SPD first."

* * *

"Anything?", the Major asked as he watched Michelle at her station. Like before she never left her station since she found out.

"Rev and Ace haven't reported anything yet," she said. He could tell how torn up she was. Target and Boomer came in and looked at him. He shook his head to answer their silent question. Suddenly Michelle stopped and put a hand over her mouth. "What if somebody used that gun on him?" She couldn't stop the tears from falling.

"We didn't find any ash," Boomer quickly said. "There's no point in thinking the worst."

"Yeah," Target agreed. "You guys told me this happened before. We'll get him back, just like last time."

"We knew who took him then," Michelle snapped. In her hands she said, "I should have been there."

"And we still wouldn't know what happened," the Major told her.

"You don't know that," Michelle snapped at him.

"No I don't," he said calmly, "but it is a strong possibility. We didn't get him back last time by second guessing ourselves." They nodded in agreement. "Have Ace see me as soon as she gets back. We're going to need a plan of action once we locate him."

* * *

He wasn't sure how long it had been since Chatrox stepped into that machine on the other side of the room, it had to be a few hours at least. In that time Dan was able to get his legs out from under him and tried to reach his gear with his foot. He had to do something, hit the sensor on his glove, somehow activate the ditch function in his License anything. But no matter how far he stretched, no matter how he twisted himself it was always an inch or two out of reach. The Igadroid in the room seemed to silently laugh at his attempts but didn't try to stop him.

The chamber Chatrox entered hissed and smoked as it opened. An almost rancid smell assaulted his nose as it reached him. Chatrox came out and dressed as his scales turned from a gray back to their original green. "Have you figured out what I'm going to do yet human?"

"Humor me?", Dan told him.

Chatrox chuckled, "To put it in words you'll understand, I'm going to steal the SPD database."

"You tried that already," Dan said. "That's how they discovered your enhancements."

"True," he agreed, "but I learned from my earlier mistakes. The other database was in a rather public compound. This time I just happen to know the location of a secret base, so I shouldn't have the same problem." Dan's gut started twisting in knots as he realized where he was talking about. "And from there I will send it directly to the bosses. Well not me exactly." As he walked foreword he started to change again. His skin went pink and he grew blond hair on his head. Kneeling before him Dan saw a face he saw every time he looked in the mirror twist into a sinister sneer. "It's going to be you who steals it. I can't think of a better way to ruin you Stevens." Dan just stared daggers at him as he walked away laughing.


	41. Chapter 41

Special Police DekaOps

40

Michelle sat in her room trying to hold it together. It had been three days since Dan had disappeared and they were no closer to finding him. They went over the alley with a fine tooth comb. Rev was able to confirm he was there and that was about it. The beeping said somebody was at her door waiting to come in. She ignored it for several minutes before finally opening it. Ace was standing there looking unsure of herself. "Let me guess, no word." Michelle said to break the silence. Shaking her head in response Michelle went to close the door until Ace blocked it with her hand.

"Michelle…", she started to say.

"Don't," Michelle cut her off, "don't tell me you wished you did things differently. Don't tell me you're trying to find him."

"I wasn't," she shot back. A little more subdued she went to say, "I was getting worried about you. Everybody is."

"I'm trying not to lose it," she told her. "I'm doing everything not to dwell on the fact we can't find him. From making sure footage of you guys didn't get leaked out to checking to see if any cases our coming our way." Sitting back down she added, "'Cause God knows the world isn't stopping because he's not here."

Joining her on the bed Ace tried to comfort her, "That's why we're worried. You're running yourself ragged. A lot of us are worried you're just going to drop."

Tears starting to fall she admitted, "It would just be easier if we knew for sure what happened. Last time we knew Waven took him, we had a target to go after. If there was some ash there I'd at least have an idea."

"I know," Ace said. "You have no idea how many times I've gone over that moment in my head. I've gone back time after time trying to see if there was anything I missed or forgot. I even grilled Rev on if he heard anything."

"So did I. But we both know he would have said something when it happened." Ace nodded in agreement.

"Come on," Ace said getting up. "Let's get you something to eat. I don't think I've seen you in the cafeteria lately. Even you can't live off coffee forever."

Smiling sadly Michelle told her, "Dan used to tell me the same thing."

* * *

For what seemed like the hundredth time Dan tested the chain connecting him to the wall. He had nothing else to do the days he had been here, where ever here was. Hell he was surprised Chatrox was actually feeding him. It was a brown tasteless slop, still it was unexpected. So how long was that going to last? One more time he looked around for something to pick the lock on the cuff around his wrist with, he still found nothing. The only thing he could do was go over everything that happened so far.

After falling for Chatrox's trap he found himself here and that damn lizard was able to use that machine of his and his blood to enhance himself again. This time being able to turn in an almost carbon copy of Dan. Then he ripped the shirt off of him and had that Igadroid of his study him for a long time. Then he had that Igadroid switch him over to his current binding and gave him the dirty shirt he was currently wearing. And the entire time Chatrox tried to force information out of him. Dan knew what he was trying to do and wasn't cooperating.

Speak of the devil he thought to himself as Chatrox and the Igadroid walked in. Again the bot was carrying a folding chair, time for another "interview". Dan said nothing as he stood there watching them. Like always the Igadroid set up the chair, like always Dan refused to sit. One more time the bot forced him down. He and the Agent just stared dagger at each other not saying anything.

Finally the Agent began, "I know you humans are stubborn but Stevens you must be the most stubborn one of all of them." He stepped closer, the Igadroid kept Dan in the chair. "One more time, how do you enter your base?" He said nothing but braced himself for the backhand he knew was coming. Bringing his head back around Chatrox continued, "How do you get into your base?"" Again he backhanded him when he didn't say anything. "Fine," Chatrox spat, "let's try something else. I know the SPD database needs a pass code to enter it. What is your pass code?" Still he said nothing. This time Chatrox nodded started squeezing his shoulder. Dan gritted his teeth against the pain and tried to endure. When it felt like his collar bone was about to break the Igadroid released his grip. "What is you pass code?" He had the bot do it again and again before finally shouting, "ANSWER ME!"

Dan just smiled at him and said, "Puss 'n' boots." Chatrox screamed in anger and backhanded him in anger. Dan spit out some red tinted spit as the Agent walked away in disgust. "You won't fool them," Dan told them.

"I know," Chatrox informed him. "I just have to fool them long enough to complete my task. And I have everything I need to do just that." Removing his tunic he changed into a copy of Dan one more time. "As you can see I have thought this out." He turned around so Dan could see the copies of all his scars on his upper body, even the eagle tattoo on the back of his shoulder. Returning to his original form he added, "And I have various ways to avoid immediate attention. The only drawback is I lost the use of my previous human disguise. It's for the best, the thought I could even turn into two of you humans disgusts me"

The door opened and a Batsuroid came in carrying something. Chatrox picked it up and Dan saw a tattered version of his uniform. "And this should help confirm the story I plan on telling them," he continued. "Just long enough for them to think I am you. When I steal the database they will be looking for you and not me. It should give me just enough time to leave this backwater planet."

"You still need what I know," he told him.

"Perhaps," Chatrox said looking thoughtful. "After I infiltrated those human scum I learned a little about human pass codes. It's usually something familiar to them. And I've studied you enough to know you are a creature of habit. Every day on Nagus 7 I knew you would do the same thing every morning like clockwork." Taking the clothes Chatrox said, "I am running out of time, and I should be able to determine your pass code at your base. The next time you see me Stevens I will have accomplished my task and then I will finally kill you, slowly. And be rest assured that I will enjoy every moment of it." The Igadroid left with him as the Batsuroid stood guard. For the hundredth and first time he pulled on the chain trying to get loose.

* * *

One particularly sunny day Barry, Paula and Danielle were busy window shopping, at least Paula and Dani were. Paula looked back at her husband seeing how distracted he was. A couple of days ago he called Dan. Michelle picked up. At first he thought Dan was out on an assignment, then she told him he was missing. She promised to keep them updated. Both of them were worried but tried not to show it in front of Danielle. "That looks pretty Mommy," the little girl said pointing out one particular piece of jewelry in the store window.

"Yes it is," she said. "What do you think Barry?"

He got out of his stupor just long enough to wheel himself over. "I think my little girl has expensive tastes, but it is very lovely munchkin." Picking her up and setting her on his lap Barry wheeled them down the street as Paula walked beside them. "Where do you girls want to eat? I heard good thing about this restaurant down the street."

"Michelle said they liked it," Paula said without thinking.

"Is Uncle Danny going to be there?", Danielle asked getting excited.

"Uncle Danny's a busy man pumpkin," Barry told her. "He probably won't be there." She looked disappointed but nodded in understanding. Paula and Barry glanced at each other, how were they going to explain things if their worst fear came to pass?

Danielle looked down the street and saw a head of blond hair coming toward them. He face brightened as she recognized who it was. "Uncle Danny!", she quickly jumped off her father's lap and ran toward him.

"Danielle!", Paula quickly chased after her with Barry following as fast as he could.

"Uncle Danny! Uncle Danny!", she continued to shout. She stopped short when the face she knew her entire life twisted into something she didn't recognize.

She started backing away as he growled, "Out of my way brat." Then he walked past her.

"Dan?", Paula asked concerned but he brushed her aside too. A sob from her daughter grabbed her full attention.

"Danny…," Barry started as he was totally ignored. He knew that man since basic and knew something was off. Based on how he looked he figured Dan must have been put through the wringer."It's ok munchkin, it looks like he's had a rough time. I'm sure he doesn't know what's going on."

"Yeah," Paula quickly agreed. "I'm sure as soon as he realizes what happened he'll feel bad and apologize."

Barry looked back to see Dan get in a van. Between the sobs Danielle said, "That's not Uncle Danny."

* * *

Sitting at her station Michelle tried hard to stay awake. Having a hard time sleeping due to the worrying she rubber her eyes and tried to pay attention to the feed in front of her. A musical tone caught her ear and her hand immediately went to her pocket. It was a little against regulations but she started carrying her cell phone with her the past couple of days. Just in case Dan tried to contact her that way. Looking at the caller ID she tried not to sound disappointed, "Hi Barry."

"We just saw Dan!", he said immediately.

She nearly jumped out of her chair, "What? Where?"

"Downtown by Sixth and Johnson," he answered. "I would have told you sooner but I left my phone behind like an idiot."

"How long ago was it?"

"About fifteen minutes ago."

"Damn it," she muttered. "Did he look all right?"

"He acted like he didn't even recognize us," he said before explaining what happened. "Then he got into this van." As he described it Michelle processed all of it trying to figure how far a van could get in fifteen minutes during afternoon traffic. Before she could get anywhere with her console beeped. Her heart jumped a beat when she saw who it was.

"Ops1 to base."

"Dan!", she exclaimed. "Where are you?"

"I don't know," he said, "somewhere in the park."

"The park?"," she said confused. "That wasn't what… never mind. Stay where you are I'll pin point your location and send a jeep after you."

"Right, Ops1 out."

Realizing she forgot she was on the phone she started to say, "Barry…"

"I heard," he told her. "Go get him and bring him home."

"Already on it."

* * *

The crowd that greeted when they brought him to their base surprised even him. Although he was quickly heralded to the medical center as soon as he arrived. "Dan" tried not to look apprehensive. Depending on what they used his plan to avoid detection could be shot down before he implemented it. "Captain," the team's resident alien said smiling, "it is good to see you again."

"It's good to be seen," he said thinking quickly. "I don't suppose we could do this later? I have to report in."

"The Major ordered a complete physical the moment you returned," he informed him. "If you would please lay on the bed." He looked over and saw his chance. There was some sort of readout on the bed. A finger going to his belt buckle he touched it briefly as he got on placing a small chip that quickly blended itself into the device. The alien's back was turned so he didn't see the screen flicker momentarily. Closing his eyes he waited until the test were done. "According to these readings you are none the worse for wear."

He smiled to himself, "Good to hear."

About then a group of people he recognized plus a Commander unfamiliar to him hurried in. A female in a white coat ran over and hugged him around the neck. It was extremely difficult to hide his disgust in front of the others. However the female pulled back and looked at him strangely. Chatrox ran through everything that just happened, he couldn't have slipped up already. "Are you all right Dan?"

"I'm fine according to him." Then he remembered, this female was with Stevens on the streets that day. Were they mates? "I'm sorry," he reached out and started rubbing her arm, "the past few days have been weird."

"That goes without saying," their commander said. He took immediate notice that he was using a cane and filed that away as a potential weakness to exploit. "Can you tell us what happened, where you disappeared to?"

"I don't remember much," he answered. "I got flashes of being on the street, a building I think. The only thing I remember clearly was waking up in the park."

"Do you remember what happened in the alley?", one of the other females asked, he thought she was the pink one.

"I remember facing an Igadroid, that's about it."

"Well then," the newer blue female said, "looks like we were right and it was a trap."

"Yeah but who set it?", the red headed male said, he had to be the yellow one.

"Major," the alien spoke up, "in view of this new information I suggest that the Captain should be temporarily removed from active duty for the time being."

"Major that isn't necessary," "Dan" said in protest.

"You know Rev outranks me in here Dan," he answered. "Besides I agree with him. Whoever was behind this wanted you specifically for some reason. Until we find out that reason it'd be better if you took some time off."

"You're right," he conceded. "Sorry Rev."

"It is all right Captain, I expected that reaction out of you. But you do need your rest, I must ask all of you to leave the room."

"Of course," the Major agreed.

"Don't worry Cap," the pink one said, "the teams is safe in my hands until Rev gives you the green light."

"Not a doubt in my mind," he told her.

"I'll bring you some dinner later," Stevens' female told him.

"Can't wait," he said remembering to smile a bit. She smiled back as they left the room. If any of them looked back they would have seen that smile turn into something a little more sinister.

* * *

From the outside light he could see he could tell it was getting pretty dark. Surprisingly his Batsuroid guards continued to feed him that tasteless slop. He also had a lot of freedom apparently. Well as free as you could get being chained to a wall. He used that to see if he could get a reaction out of the Batsuroids. Anything, just the tiniest hint that he was doing something he something he wasn't or close to something he shouldn't be. They just stood there like a pair of statues. Either they were programmed really well or there wasn't anything around that they considered dangerous.

Deep down he knew why he was doing this. One, he was trying to stay sane. Two, he was trying hard not to dwell on the fact that when Chatrox did slip up there was no guarantee that he would tell them where he was. And he could be here a long time, depending on if the Batsuroids were programmed to kill him after so long a period or not.

* * *

The alien allowed him back to Stevens' quarters after his meal. His female offered to take him there. She said she understood when he said he wanted to be alone for the moment. Chatrox wanted to drop his disguise but couldn't risk somebody walking in on him. Taking a moment to look around he tried to find the best place to start. Something in here had to be a clue to his pass code. The first thing that caught his attention was the pictures on the wall. Two in particular stood out immediately. One was an image of Stevens and his unit. Not this unit exactly he realized, this one had the original blue one in it. That's when he noticed the image of the current lineup. But nothing in particular stood out. Looking at the other one that caught his eye he saw a slightly younger looking Stevens. The one he broke out of jail that failed him was there as well with several he didn't recognize. A banner behind them said "Eagles". That could be a possibility.

Another wall held numerous objects. From his time with those Earth First morons he learned they were called books. Could something there be a clue? He studied the spines, he didn't have time to read them all. Picking one up he skimmed through it trying to see if anything would catch Stevens' eye. The dresser below the books had a couple of more on it plus a few more personal belongings, including a picture of him and the female. He was going to have to learn her name and those of the others before they got suspicious. That was for later though he still had to search for clues to that pass code.

* * *

Like she had for the past couple of days Ace ran the team through their daily morning drills. Today everybody seemed to have extra bounce in their step. They had Cap back, he may not be cleared to run anything yet but they had him back. Ace in particular was very happy to have him back, in fact she let a couple of things slide that she normally would have jumped on them for. "Keeping the others on their toes I see," Cap surprised her. She didn't hear him come up behind her.

"You wouldn't have it any other way," she said smiling. A little more serious she said, "I know I had to take over for you a couple of times but I forget how big your boots actually are sometimes. It's noting I can't handle but the paperwork's a bitch," she said grinning again.

"It's not exactly my favorite part of the job either," he grinned back.

"Hey Cap," Boomer called out as they ran up to them. "Are you going to join us this morning?"

"Rev hasn't given me the go ahead yet," he answered.

"Never stopped you before," Ace joked.

"I figured I'd listen this time around."

"It is true what they say," Rev spoke up, "there is a first time for everything."

"So Cap do you have a verdict on how we did today?", Target asked.

It took a moment for him to answer, "You guys did great." He patted Boomer on the shoulder as he walked pat them, "Like you always do. You guys haven't disappointed me yet. I can't imagine you doing any better."

They were stunned silent as he left the gym. Boomer in particular looked back and forth between them and the door he went through before finally focusing on Rev. "Did Cap get hit in the head?"

"He says he doesn't remember what happened after he was captured," Rev answered. "It is a distinct possibility."

"I don't want to be this person," Target spoke up, "but he says he doesn't remember who caught him or how he got away from them."

"That particular gap in his memory is why I suggested that he should be removed from active duty," Rev told her.

"We all thought it Target," Ace said looking down and crossing her arms. "And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's doesn't want to think the worst."

"So we keep an eye on him," Boomer continued for her. "What if we're right and whoever captured Cap did something to him."

She had a hard time looking at them, "Then we're going to have to do one of the hardest things we've ever done."

* * *

At her terminal Michelle sat there tapping her fingers. She was expecting to wake up happy. But in that moment of being awake and not really aware of anything yet she realized something. It wasn't anything he did but what he said, "Ops1 to base". That ran through her head several times and it bugged her each time. Dan never said "Ops1" to anything. It was either, "Stevens to OpsBase" or "This is Stevens, go". Maybe it was a mental slip because of what he went through but it was nagging her so much. There was one person on base would know for sure.

Finding the Major in his office doing the morning paperwork she knocked on his doorway. "What can I do for you Michelle?"

Sitting down she wasn't sure how do begin. Finally she just came out with it, "Have you noticed anything off about Dan since he's been back?"

He sat back in his chair looking worried, "Little things mainly. I want to put it down to his time in captivity. But since he can't tell us what happened on those days it's hard to say. Have you noticed anything?"

"Little things," she said as well. "Things that shouldn't be bothering me as much as they are."

"Such as?"

"The way he called in for one. Then there was something this morning, a couple of techs came up to him. He looked annoyed at first, but it was paperwork that needed his signature so I really didn't think anything of it at the time. But I noticed he didn't use either of their names until somebody passing said it."

"There's not anything really big there," he told her. "Although he did that with Rev yesterday. And he did seem a little lost when I ran into him this morning." Thinking it over a bit he said, "I think I'll have Rev run a few more tests just to be on the safe side."

"That might be a good idea," Michelle's DataLicense and she excused herself, "This is Michelle."

Both of them were a little surprised to hear Rev respond, "I could use you assistance. One of my scanner beds is malfunctioning. We have been trying to correct the problem but we are not making any head way. Since the problem seems to be computer based I thought you might be able to help"

"Sure thing Rev, let me grab some things and I'll be right there." To the Major she said, "While I'm there I'll ask Rev about those tests."

"Tell him the sooner it's done the faster we know what's going on. I've known Dan way too long to be suspecting him like this."

Quickly grabbing her gear she met Rev in the med bay. She was a little surprised when he directed her to the bed he had Dan on yesterday. "So what's the problem?"

"This particular bed has been giving us some abnormal readings. We first noticed it last night when Simmons came in with symptoms of a cold. It registered him as fine even though we could see he was not. We have checked all the scanners and all of them are functional."

"It's probably just a glitch," she assured him. Hooking up her gear she ran several tests. And right now she was getting confused at the results she was getting. Staring at them for several moments she looked at Rev, "Can you get on there for a quick test?" He complied and she let the tech run the scan. Based on his reaction it looked like he wasn't expecting these results either.

Getting off the bed Rev checked the results for himself, "It is reading me as human?"

"The system's been corrupted somehow," Michelle told him. "But I don't see how unless…" A thought she didn't want to think entered her head. Holding the back of her head she was afraid to hear the answer. "Was this bed working before you scanned Dan?"

"It was working perfectly as far as I am aware of." She was right, she didn't want to hear that.

"I need to go to my room real quick," she told him "I'll be… I'll be right back."

"Of course Michelle," he replied.

Rushing to her room she grabbed her cell phone and quickly dialed a number. "Barry? It's Michelle. Where did you say you saw Dan again?"

* * *

These humans were more suspicious than he originally thought they would be. So far he has caught members of Stevens' team and his female following him or staring at him intently. That was his fault, he supplied too little information about his "escape" as they put it. Then again too much might have caused the same effect. He had to act quickly to enact his plan before he made them even more suspicious. Right now two of the techs have been following him. He had to lose them the only way he knew how. Ducking into an empty corridor he turned invisible the moment he was out of sight. Pressing against the wall he heard them quickly try and catch up. "What the hell?", one of them said.

"He can't be far," the other told him. They hurried off and Chatrox went in the other direction. They were going to report his disappearance sooner or later so he didn't have much time. Staying invisible he headed for one of the computer rooms he had been able to locate so far. Making sure nobody else was around he hurried inside and waited for the door to close. Seeing nobody inside he became visible again, although he still had to be in Stevens' form to do this.

"Computer, access and open the database and prepare to send it as a data file on this encoded frequency." Taping in the frequency he waited.

"Authorization and voice code to complete task," the monotone female voice replied.

"Authorization Stevens, Daniel. Voice code… Eagles."

"Access denied," it said as the screen went red. He didn't expect to hit the pass code on the first try. But he created a list of possible candidates based on the things in Stevens' quarters. And he knew how many chances he had before this station would lockdown. Before that could happen he would simply leave and try again later at one of the other stations. All he had to be was patient.

* * *

"I still do not see what this has to do with a corrupted diagnostic bed," Rev said as they walked down the street.

"It has everything to do with it Rev," Michelle told him. "From everything we saw it looks like the bed got hacked into. You said it was fine before Dan was scanned. He has a gap in his memory where he has no idea what happened to him. What if whoever captured him did something to his head? Programmed him to make sure we couldn't detect it."

"How can that be possible?", Rev asked.

"I don't know!", she snapped. "All I know is Dan's friend saw him here fifteen minutes before he called in. The answer is here!"

Rev looked at her for a second. "Then let us find it. Did his friend say where in this area that he saw the Captain?"

"Only that it was on this street."

"Perhaps we should have brought the others to help in the search."

"I already talked it over with Ace and she shared my concerns. They're going to be watching Dan while we do this."

They walked down the street scanning the area before Rev spoke up again, "The Captain is such a strong willed individual. The idea somebody…"

"I know," Michelle said, not wanting to hear it out loud. "But there are people out there in the galaxy who specialize in just that. The moment I find out who they are dead."

"Michelle," Rev said stopping where he was."

"I know that wasn't proper police behavior," she began. Then she noticed he was looking at the scanner in his hand. "What is it?"

"I am not sure. There seems to be a void in the life signs on this block nearby."

"Let me see." He positioned the scanner so she could view it too. Like he said there was an empty spot close by. "Can this pick smaller life forms, like animals?"

"I believe it is possible." Fiddling the controls more life signs readings popped up. Except for that one building. Both of them watched a small animal walked toward the building before the reading suddenly disappeared. "Is there a field around the building that is blocking the signal?"

"It's a starting point, let's go." Finding the abandoned building in no time they didn't see anything out of place. Getting off the street and into a side alley they drew their SP-Shooters as Rev found a door leading inside. He tried it and discovered it was locked. Motioning for here to move aside he shot the lock. Rev went in first, weapon pointed in front of him. Michelle was right behind him with her eyes peeled. There had to be something thing here. A whir from behind caught their attention. They both spun around. An Anaroid appeared and they both fired. After it was over she said, "This has to be the place."

"Indeed," Rev agreed as they went deeper in. They tried several doors, only stopping when a bot crossed their path. She opened one last door and stopped, stunned at who she saw inside.

"Look out!", Dan shouted at her. Rev pulled her back as a Batsuroid tried to attack her, quickly firing a shot into it's head another one came toward them. Michelle came to her senses and took care of that one. Rev covered the room while Michelle slowly walked toward Dan.

"Dan?", he voice was barely above a whisper.

"I know you've been wanting to spice up the love life a bit, but can we count out chains," he pulled on the one connecting him to the wall, "because I'm not really feeling it." This was him, she knew it and immediately went to him. They held each on to each other for dear life. "I'm fine," he said when he noticed she was shaking. "There's no permanent damage." After a moment he said, "I was starting to wonder if I was going to see you and the others again."

"Well we saw you already," Michelle told him, pulling away. "What the hell is going on?"

"Chatrox," was all he said. "Rev, down that hallway somewhere is a genetic resequencer. He used that to turn into a copy of me. You need to mark the location so we can send it to SPD Command." Michelle and Rev just stood there looking at each other. "What are you just standing around for. We got to get out of here and stop Chatrox before he can get his plan going."

"Dan I want to believe with all my heart that this is you," she told him. "But there are two of you walking around. I need some concrete proof."

"We don't have time for this…," he muttered. "Fine, outside of Rev doing some blood work you have a birthmark in the shape of a butterfly on your left bu…" she cut him off with a kiss.

"Now I believe it's you," she told him. "Rev, see if there's a key around here somewhere." As he started checking the bots she asked, "Do you know what Chatrox plan is this time?"

"You're not going to believe this one."

* * *

This was maddening, he just exited his third computer room still having to complete his task. This damn pass code of Stevens' was proving harder to pin down than he originally thought it would be. And to top it off security in this complex had become tighter in the past couple of hours. He had to wait and enter the last one when somebody else did. He was running out of time. Getting close to a fourth one he saw somebody else exit and he ran to get in before it closed. "What," the person inside exclaimed as he stood there. Chatrox attacked him immediately and after a brief struggle knocked him out. And he left him alive just because he was still in disguised as Stevens. Nothing like a little visual conformation of who attacked him.

Again he got the program loaded and ready to go. One more time it asked for a pass code. Taking a deep breath he ran through his now very short list, "Warrior." The screen flashed red, denied again. "Slag it!" he pounded the console in frustration.

The door opened revealing three members of Stevens' team, weapons drawn and pointed right at him. The pink one ordered, "Step away from the computer Cap." He stayed where he was. "Now," he could see the hesitation in their eyes. The one he knocked out started to stir. He used that hesitation to grab him and use the human as a shield. Grabbing the tech's weapon he pointed it at his head. "Let him go Cap!"

"I don't think so," he sneered. "Now let me pass or I will kill him."

"You drop him and I swear to God we'll drop you."

"But can you really do it?", he taunted.

The new blue one muttered, "Come on Cap come to your senses."

"Dan," the commander walked in despite the other's protests. "Give me the weapon and let him go. I know somebody did something to you while you were gone. End this now and you have my word I will do everything in my power to help you."

Chatrox stared at him, he actually thought somebody broke and brainwashed Stevens. This was better than he ever expected or planned on. Unable to hide the smile that was forming he told him, "If you don't want him to die I suggest you activate the program I have set up."

"Dan you know I can't do that."

"Come on Major," he said sneering, "surely you don't want another death under your command." He relished the reaction that got, especially from pink and yellow one of the original team. "Clock's ticking Major, either authorize it or I pull the trigger." They stared each other in the eye for several moments. Chatrox saw the mixture of emotions in the human's eyes. He briefly wondered what he saw in his.

"Computer," he said looking defeated, "Start prepared program. Voice authorization Pierce, Henry, voice code griffin."

"Authorization confirmed," the computer announced. Chatrox looked at the screen, because if the size of database it would take at least ten minutes to compress and send. An expected delay, now he just had to get out of here.

"Now all of you are going to let me out of this room." When they didn't reply he pressed the barrel against his hostage's head, "Do it!" Slowly they backed out of the room. Once they were out he forced his hostage out into the hall. Keeping his back to the wall he made sure the hostage was between him and them. Some tried to catch him off guard by coming around a corner but he heard them coming, "Back off!" The commander waved them off. Chatrox realized that hallway led to the command center and to the exit and made his way down toward the door. It opened but before he could check they all heard his voice, but he didn't open his mouth.

"Computer," he sneered as he saw Stevens standing there with the alien and his female, "initiate emergency shutdown. Authorization Stevens, Daniel. Voice code," he smirked a bit, "puss 'n' boots."

"Authorization confirmed." Almost at once the screens around the room went dark.

"NO!", he screamed. An emergency shutdown meant every computer program that wasn't considered essential was immediately stopped and shut down, included his encode of the database.

"I might be a creature of habit," Stevens began, "but I knew you wouldn't believe me when I told you."

* * *

"Holy shit… Cap?", Boomer asked. Looking back and forth between the two all he could say was, "Caps?"

"Who's the real one?", Target asked.

"This one," Michelle quickly said pointing toward Dan.

"Are you sure?", Ace asked her.

"I'd bet my life on it," she answered.

"Good enough for me," Ace said as she and the others kept their weapons pointed at the other Dan. He snarled at all of them as he held on to his hostage.

The real Dan stepped forward, "Give it up Chatrox you lost." Most of those who those who could hear that gasped at the revelation. Realizing it was worthless to keep up the disguise he reverted to his true self. "Surrender now."

"I don't think so human," he shoved his hostage toward Ace. Before they could react he grabbed the Major and held him at gunpoint. "No undo the lockdown or I will kill him."

"You kill him and I couldn't if I wanted to," Dan told him "We set it up so it could only be overridden if the three members of the senior staff agreed to it. That's me, Michelle and the Major. It's over Chatrox just give it up."

"You're right about one thing Stevens," he sneered. "This is over, but I am not giving up." Suddenly he turned invisible and shoved the Major down.

"Cover the exits," Dan and Ace both shouted. Everybody spread out while Rev covered the elevator. Dan motioned for everybody to be quiet and looked at Rev who nodded in understanding and listened.

"Over there," he said pointing to the door leading to the training area. The tech in front of it went flying and the door opened and closed on it's own. Rev confirmed what he was thinking, "He has left the room."

Pierce grabbed his StormLicense , "Attention all personnel, there is an intruder on base, repeat there is an intruder on base. The intruder is a shape shifter and can take the form of Captain Stevens. If anybody sees a Captain Stevens detain him immediately." Dan headed for the training area but the Major stopped him, "Not you Dan."

"We have to corner him," he argued.

"And I just gave the order to detain anybody looking like you. You going out there would just cause some confusion we don't need right now." Dan didn't like it but he conceded. "Of course if he stays invisible we're going to have a different problem entirely."

"I think we have some thermal scanners," Target said. "And I know we have some motion detectors."

"We'll help you get them," Ace told her. "Rev, Boomer let's go." They were out of the room leaving a very frustrated Dan behind.

He sat down mumbling, "That bastard still has my License."

"We'll get it back," the Major assured him.

"You gave him your pass code?", Michelle said as she sat next to him.

"I know it was a huge gamble but I knew he wouldn't believe that was it."

"That was one hell of a risk," she told him.

"These ain't exactly love taps," he said pointing at the bruises on his face. "I was trying to get him so frustrated he'd give up."

Michelle shot a look toward the Major. "Don't be blaming that one on me. I may have taught him back in basic but he came up with that fool plan on his own."

* * *

A guard ran down the hall, he went down by an invisible assailant who quickly went on his way. This was getting him nowhere, he was trapped and he needed to think clearly. He was underground and there were only two apparent ways out of here, the ramp in the hanger that led to the garage above and the elevator in the command room. No… SPD would not be that careless with their personal. Which meant… Changing his voice so he sounded like Stevens again he spoke into the human's license, "Computer, activate emergency exits. Voice authorization Stevens, Daniel. Voice code puss 'n' boots." The wall near him hissed opened revealing a ladder leading up. He grinned, just like he thought.

In the Command Room Dan and the others jumped up and looked around as alarms went off. Going to the door Chatrox used Dan saw one of the emergency exits open up. "He's going topside!", he shouted running out before anybody could stop him. Hitting the ladder at a full run he climbed up as fast as his feet could take him. Popping a hatch the opened just outside the cover building he scrambled out and quickly looked around. If he was still invisible… Some tree branches started rustling and there was no real wind, it was him. "Chatrox!", and he gave chase.

Running through the trees he tried to listen to the rustling ahead of him. He almost reached the field that covered the hanger when something that felt like a boot crashed into his chest. Invisible hands grabbed him by the shirt and threw him into the field. Chatrox materialized still holding his License. "What's the matter Chatrox, you need my gear to beat me?"

"How easily you forget human," he sneered. "As I recall I bested you while you were wearing the Dekasuit. So I don't think I will be needing it, although I do think I will keep it. Not as a souvenir, the less I'm reminded of you the better. Even though I can't seem to get a hold of the database I know the bosses have been looking on getting their hands on one of these for a long time. It might be enough to get me assigned off this backwater rock. But first I am finally going to deal with you."

"I was thinking the same thing." Dan kicked the License out of his hand before he could move. He tackled the Agent to the ground in the next instant. Chatrox's hands went to his throat the moment after that. Dan quickly broke his grip but the alien grabbed his arms and threw him off. Both of them scrambled to their feet. Circling each other they looked for an opening. Dan went for a kick that Chatrox easily blocked. He launched into a series of strikes that had Dan backing up to avoid. Catching one he tried to flip the Chameleon-seijin over his shoulder. Chatrox twisted in the air and landed on his feet. Eating a backhand Dan dropped to the ground. As soon as he landed he kicked out a leg. The Agent stumbled back as the sole of the human's boot impacted his stomach. Dan had to deflect a kick aimed at his head as he got to his feet.

Chatrox reached for his boot and pulled out a knife he had hidden there. Slashing away he had Dan backing up right into a tree. Faking a stab with the knife he caught the human off guard with a knee that knocked the breath out of him. Holding him up by the hair he had every intention in plunging the blade right into his skull. Dan grabbed him by the wrist to keep that from happening. Kicking the Agent away he was just able to get away from the tree when he stopped the blade from coming at him again. Chatrox kicked at his leg making him go to a knee. With this new advantage Chatrox was slowly forcing the knife down. "I despised you the moment I saw you," he spat.

"The feeling mutual," Dan said through his teeth. Falling back he was able to flip the alien over him. In the next instant he was on the arm holding the knife and forced the hand to open. Instinct made him kick the knife away. Kicking Chatrox down he attempted to stomp his chest but the alien caught his foot and pushed him away. By the time he regained his balance Chatrox had disappeared. Straining his senses he looked for any sign of that damn lizard. Then an invisible fist decked him. Swinging wildly with a backhand he got nothing but air.

"Now what human?", his voice taunted. He launched a kick where he thought the voice was coming from, again nothing. "No teammates to back you up." Something poked him in the back Dan swung around while praying to catch something. He got nothing. His breath left him as something slammed into his gut. "No sprinklers to set off revealing where I am." His head snapped back as an invisible foot kicked him. "How are you going to survive now?" On his knees Dan thought he saw movement out of the corner of his eyes. Some of the blades of grass were moving differently than the others, almost like it was being stepped on. Watching it for a few seconds he thought it looked like somebody was moving. He was desperate at this point. Sweeping his leg out he silently celebrated as he hit something. There was his target and he went after it immediately. Again he was kicked away. As he tried to get back something that felt like an arm wrapped itself around his neck. It squeezed as it picked him up. As he struggled to breathe he heard Chatrox say into his ear, "I have dreamed of this moment Stevens."

"Keep dreaming," he grunted. Getting his legs under him Dan pushed back as hard as he could slamming them into a tree. He heard Chatrox grunt in pain but he still held on. Dan kept slamming them into the tree until he felt the pressure lesson on his neck. In that instant he threw Chatrox over his head. Using what strength he had left he slammed his fist like a piledriver into his chest. Chatrox reappeared in the next instant. Stumbling over to his OpLicense he turned back to Chatrox. "I am going to do what they should have done when they caught you the first time." An energy bolt flew past his head and exploded part of a tree. Dan looked over to see an Igadroid, the same one Chatrox used on him earlier, walk through the trees with an alien rifle in it's hands.

"Did you really think," Chatrox sneered, "that I wouldn't have a way to escape if I had to." The gun keeping Dan in place Chatrox walked over until he was behind the spike headed robot. "I think of everything."

"Did you think of this?", Ace demanded as she and the others joined them in the field. Michelle and the Major were right behind them.

"In fact I did." Chatrox pulled something off the Igadroid and threw it on the ground. In seconds ten Batsuroids formed, in turn they threw even more grenades that formed a countless number of Anaroids appeared between them.

"Déjà vu," Boomer said.

"Quite," Rev agreed.

"I'm ready for a rematch," Target announced.

"Say the word," Ace said to Dan. He glanced back at Pierce.

"Major, I know you're the one in charge…."

"I'll follow your lead on this one Dan," he said knowing where he was going. "Besides this looks like an emergency and a special situation to me."

"My thoughts exactly," Michelle said.

Dan nodded and looked through the crowd toward Chatrox and the Igadroid. "Change standby." The others took out their respective Licenses and held them across their chest, "Emergency!"

Pulling their OpsLicense back they pushed them forward and the five of them shouted, "DekaOps!"

Michelle was right there with "DekaData!"

The Major finished it with, "DekaStorm!"

Dan was surrounded by a red digital field as the Dekametal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark red stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the red and black formed the outline for a number one. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over his head and formed a dark red helmet. "Ops1!"

Target was surrounded by a blue digital field as the Dekametal formed around her body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark blue stripe went down the middle of her body from her shoulders to the top of her boots, on the left side of her chest the blue and black formed the outline for a number two. A backpack solidified on her back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over her head and formed a dark blue helmet. "Ops2!"

Rev was surrounded by a green digital field as the Dekametal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark green stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the green and black formed the outline for a number three. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over his head and formed a dark green helmet. "Ops3!"

Boomer was surrounded by a yellow digital field as the Dekametal formed around his body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark yellow stripe went down the middle of his body from his shoulders to the top of his boots, on the left side of his chest the yellow and black formed the outline for a number four. A backpack solidified on his back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over his head and formed a dark yellow helmet. "Ops4!"

Ace was surrounded by a pink digital field as the Dekametal formed around her body in a flash of white light. It changed into black body suit in a burst. A dark pink stripe went down the middle of her body from her shoulders to the top of her boots, on the left side of her chest the blue and black formed the outline for a number five. A backpack solidified on her back and the D-Shot appeared in a flash. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed over her head and formed a dark pink helmet. "Ops5!"

Michelle was surrounded by a white digital field as the Dekametal formed around her in a flash of light. In a burst it formed a black and white version of the DekaSwan suit. A backpack with two cylinders on both sides appeared on her back as a ten button keypad flashed on her left forearm. "Face on!", Dekametal flashed around her head forming a white helmet. Michelle held her left arm in front of her chest, "Officer of the information highway," she swung her left arm back and shot her right fist foreword, "DekaData!"

Pierce was surrounded by a black digital field as he threw off the command coat. Dekametal formed around him transforming into a jet black bodysuit. It flashed again forming red armor around his feet, shins, knees, elbow and hands. Finalizing into blood red chest armor as a black one hundred burned into it. "Face on!", A red helmet shaped like an army helmet appeared around his head. A fire started burning behind him as he brought his hand to his chest, "Striking down a hundred enemies from the shadows. The bringer of hell on Earth." He brought the arm down in a slashing movement making the flames grow higher. "Soldier of the Inferno, DekaStorm!"

"Special Police!" One by one the lights on the side of their helmets flashed to life. As one they exclaimed, "DekaOps!"

"Kill them," Chatrox ordered.

"You know what to do," Dan said. Both groups ran toward each other.

Ace ran in front of Target firing her D-Shooter. She stopped to let Target jump off her shoulder. She flipped in the air and shot down at the bots as she landed. She quickly turned around and the both of them fired at the ones between them. Quickly turning she kicked a Batsuroid in the head while Ace took out a couple coming at her. Target spun out of the way of one trying to grab her and shot the one behind it. Kicking her attacker down Ace ran toward her and jumped off her outstretched leg. Shooting the bots when she landed Ace turned and did the same for Target who spun in the air and shot in a circle around Ace. The moment she landed they were back to back. "Too flashy?", she asked

"Do I look like Cap?", Ace told her.

To their left a group with some rifles came at them. Michelle burst through and got between them, "Barrier shield." Spreading her arms wide an energy field protected them from the onslaught. After a few seconds she said, "Anytime you two." Ace and Target stepped to the side of the field and fired away. Dropping the field the three of them kicked a Batsuroid coming at them.

"Where were you the last time we went through this?", Ace asked Michelle.

"You didn't take me," she reminded her.

Boomer got kicked in the back while he was concentrating on group that was in front of him. Rev was right there to keep him from falling. Getting his footing Boomer spun and unleashed a right hook that floored the bot. Shaking the pain out of his fist he watched as Rev took out an Anaroid with his D-Rod. "I am really getting tired of this," Boomer said to nobody in particular.

Rev responded anyway, "As am I Robert." A group tried to attack them at once. They fought them off as more bots joined in. They forced their way out. A lone Anaroid came at them. Boomer slapped something on it's back right before Rev tossed it into the group that attacked them. Standing there Boomer held up his left hand revealing a button detonator. The Batsuroids and Anaroids looked down to see the bomb on their comrade's back. Waving bye-bye with his right he hit the trigger. The bomb exploded taking the Anaroid it was attached to with it while taking out or disabling the others around it.

Boomer grinned to himself, "That never get's old."

A large group of the bots seemed to target the Major. At that moment he was proving that was a mistake on their part. A Batsuroid went flying then he punched an Anaroid in the face. "D-Sword Blaster!" Grabbing the handle at his side the straps tightened around his forearm, "Gun mode," two barrels popped out of the handle. He blasted them mainly to keep some space between him and them. A few were able to get through. He backed away trying not to think about how long his leg was going to hold up. A few were getting too close while he took more out. "Sword mode," the barrels retracted and the blade underneath his forearm swung up and extended a bit. Slashing away he struck down those that were too close for comfort.

"Time to weed things out a bit," he mumbled. Holding his arm to the side the area went dark slightly as a fire started to grow behind him. Once he felt it at his heels he ran forward, "Fire wave slash!" The blade glowed as he ran through the bots slashing away. Once he came to a stop things brightened and the bots exploded or fell to the ground sparking. He put all his weight on his good leg as he held his bad one. Damn it not now.

Rev appeared out of nowhere to offer some support while Boomer covered them with his D-Shot. "Careful Major," Rev said, "despite the situation exerting yourself to such an extent…"

"I still have plenty of gas in the tank," he said.

"Major," Rev continued.

"Rev," Boomer cut in between shots, "it's not a good idea to argue with the man who can demote you in a second."

"Don't threaten Rev," the Major told him. "That's my job."

Dan was doing everything to get to that back of the pack. Kicking aside any Anaroid or batsuroid in his way. A bot grabbed him but a point blank shot from the D-Colt took care of that. Finally he broke through and saw the Igadroid standing there pointing the rifle right at him. Target shot it's wrist making it drop the rifle. "Got your back Cap," she said before returning her attention to the rest of the bots. Dan rolled the shoulder it targeted during those interrogations and holstered his D-Colt. Reaching into his pack he pulled out his D-Knife and D-Rod as he walked toward it. The Igadroid did the same walking over the rifle.

They went right at each other, the Igadroid trying to connect with it's cross blade, Dan blocking as best he could while trying to slash at whatever robotic body part he could. The bot knew he wasn't at a hundred percent from his captivity and kept up the pressure. Logically it was targeting the shoulder it worked on during that time. Realizing this he did his best to keep that shoulder out of harm's way. During their dance some of the techs entered the field and helped take care of the bots. The Igadroid increased it's attacks seeing the new development. It slashed a little too hard with the cross blade. Dan was able to duck under and pop right back up. A yell powered from his frustration of being captured and tortured escaped his throat as he plunged the D-Knife between it's eyes. Dan held on to the handle as he stared into it's electronic eyes. Letting go of the handle the Igadroid dropped to the ground.

Looking around he saw the others and the techs had the bots under control. Then he saw Chatrox trying to get away. A shot fired over his head stopped him. "Is this how it's going to end Stevens? A shot to my back?"

"After D.E and Tony died because of you I wouldn't lose a wink of sleep if I did. But I'm better than that," and he holstered his weapon.

"Then what?", he turned around to face him. "Are you going to take some pleasure in pummeling me personally?"

"Tempting," Dan said crossing his arms, "but I think I'll let them have a shot at you." Ace and Target jumped over him and landed a double punch to Chatrox's chest.

He stumbled back as Ace told him, "That's for D.E." Boomer and Rev leaped over them landing a double kick that knocked him back further.

"That's for Cap's friend," Boomer said.

"And for betraying SPD!" He turned around to see the Major come up behind him. A swing from his blade knocked him into the air.

Michelle jumped off Dan's shoulder and right at the Agent. "Electro kick!", she practically stomped Chatrox chest in while they were in the air. He jolted with each electrified foot. He crashed on the ground as she landed on her feet. "And that's for capturing Dan."

The regrouped at his side as he walked forward as Chatrox tried to get to his feet, OpsLicense in hand. "Selling illegal substances and weapons to known criminals. Twice trying to steal the SPD database. Being an accessory in the deaths of two SPD officers." While he talked his thumb switched the License to Judge. "If we don't get the result I know we should get I will turn in my badge. Target orders!"

The area went dark s the License flipped open. Between them the red X and blue circle flashed as Chatrox was scanned. After a minute the red x remained. Chatrox sneered as neutrally as he could Dan said, "Eliminate target." They unlatched their D-Shots and locked in their OpsLicense. The Major returned his weapon to gun mode. Michelle typed in a command on the keypad and got to a knee as the cylinders on her back flipped forward. Boomer and Rev joined her as the rest stood behind them.

"Burning shot!"

"Datablast!"

"Strikeout!", Dan shouted. The combined energy streams hit Chatrox all at once. He writhed in pain as the energy tore him up from the inside out. Dan turned and walked away as he fell back and exploded, deleting him. "Got you," he said as the rest followed him.

* * *

A couple of days later Dan and Michelle stood in front of a door waiting for somebody to answer their knock. "Are you sure about this?", Michelle asked him.

"You told me what happened when they saw Chatrox," he answered. "There are very few people in this world I don't want to alienate. Especially when it wasn't my fault." The door opened and Barry and Paula stood there. He saw the uncertainty in their eyes. "Hi," was all he could say.

"Are you sure it's you?", Barry asked.

"According to her," he said gesturing toward Michelle. "And she's done several personal inspections."

"Based on the look she just gave him," Paula said, "I'd say it's really him."

"A shape shifter?", Barry asked as they let them in.

"It's a long story," he said. "I'll fill you in later, but we're kind of pressed for time. I just had to make sure he didn't do anything to you guys."

"We're fine," Paula said. "We didn't know what the hell was going on when we saw you… eh… him. He's not still around is he?"

"He's been," he started to say, "dealt with."

"Not soon enough," Michelle mumbled. She looked over and saw Dani standing at the foot of the staircase. She looked frightened and that just tore Dan up inside.

Not sure what else to do he smiled and said, "Hey munchkin."

Dani broke out into a big grin after a moment and ran toward him, "Uncle Danny!" She wrapped her arms around his leg, "It's really you this time."

Picking up his Goddaughter he said, "I heard you saw a guy who looked like me."

"He called me a brat and looked mean," she said. Dan was very glad they got the son of a bitch. "You're not mean."

"Trust me kiddo, you're not going to see that mean guy ever again," he told her. "And you are not talking to anybody in my unit." Both Barry and Michelle stifled a chuckle. "Quiet," he warned them.

"Dan," Michelle said while pointing at her watch.

"Right, I hate to cut this short but we have to go."

"Already," Danielle whined as he put her down.

"Can't be helped," he said. "I'll be back as soon as I can." Paula hugged both of them as Dan shook Barry's hand.

"And it better real be soon," Barry told him.

"You know it."

* * *

A couple of hours later all of them were on the orbital station in the upper hanger. Dan, Michelle, Ace and the other all stood in line. A very proud looking Major stood by the side. Joining him was Meng Yeow, Gyoc Row and Commander Trytan. They watched as Commander Numa-O and Scorp pinned medals on their uniforms. "For protecting the integrity of SPD," Numa-O said, "and protecting our ability in being affective force in protecting the innocents of the universe it is our pleasure and honor to present you with these medals. All I ask is that you perform you duties as you have been, above and beyond all our expectations."

"You have preformed amicably," Scorp said through his translator. "I am proud of all of you."

As one they saluted the two of them. They returned it. Dan stepped forward and turned smartly to face his team. "DekaOps, dismissed."They turned to the left and marched out of the hanger. Once they were out of sight they started celebrating.

"Captain Stevens," Scorp said as he, Pierce and Michelle saw them off. "I must confess I doubted your selection when Major Pierce recommended you. To be honest my instinct said to reject you. This was one of the few times my instincts weren't correct."

"That's the closest you're going to get to a compliment from him," Trytan told him with a smile. "I said it before Captain, it's a good thing you stayed with this unit. This is right were you belong."

"I couldn't have done any of it without my team with me," Dan told him.

"I don't think he gets that modesty from you Henry," Meng Yeow joked as they stood to the side.

"I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about," the Major told him.

"And how many times have you said you trained him personally?", Row laughed.

"They had to get that good somehow didn't they?"

Near the back Ace and the others watched. Boomer looked like he was thinking something over. "Hey Ace, when Cap said they needed the senior staff to get the computers going again he said the three of them. Aren't you senior staff too?"

"Chatrox didn't know that," she answered. "Besides he didn't want to give up his 'Ace' in the hole," she smirked.

"That was bad," Target said. Rev nodded in agreement. Ace waved them off.

"Oh Captain," Trytan spoke up, "Commander Mynx sends his best wishes. He wanted to be here personally but he had some new recruits to the program he needs to take care of."

"I understand," Dan told him. "Tell him I wish his recruit luck. They're going to need it."

"I'll do that," Trytan chuckled. "Come on Scorp, SPD isn't going to run itself." They boarded the shuttle while Meng Yeow and Row took the one headed for Earth.

"We'll see you at the next meeting Henry," Meng Yeow said. They saluted each other and both shuttles left the hanger.

"Well I do believe there's a party going on somewhere," the Major said afterwards. "You guys coming or are you going to wait."

"I'll wait until she gets here," Dan told him.

He nodded and walked away. Michelle on the other hand, "Who is she and why are you waiting for her?"

"The who you'll find out soon enough," he answered. "As to why… let's say I'm calling in Hawaii."

"That's my favor," she protested. "You can't do that."

"I just did."

"And what makes you think you can do that?"

"One, I never wanted that favor. Two, I never called you out about lying on why we stayed over so technically you owed me. And three," he pulled a pair of tickets out of his pocket, "I need somebody to go with me."

"Hawaii?", she gasped reading the ticket. "Consider it paid in full. But it still doesn't explain who you're waiting for."

Dan looked out the hanger field as saw a shuttle coming in, "That should be her now." They watched as it landed and the occupant walked out.

"Captain," Drilian said, "I appreciate the opportunity you have given me to right my wrong against you."

Ignoring the look Michelle was giving him he told her, "Yeah no problem. Remember what I told you, even though you're filling in for me Ace is the one in charge while I'm gone."

"I will follow Ace's commands to the letter Captain," she told him. "But what if we are not called to duty?"

"You're still watching my team for me. That will be good enough."

"Of course Captain," she said. "Please excuse me, I must report my arrival to Major Pierce."

After she left all Michelle could say was, "You didn't?"

"You've seen how many times she'd messaged me," he said trying to defend his action, "wanting to make up for spying, her words not mine, on me during that mission. If I can help ease her conscious in some way I'm doing it."

"You're hanging around Boomer too much," she told him.

"That's hitting below the belt."

"You deserved it. You told the Major before you told me?"

"I had to get us some time off somehow didn't I?"

"Cap," Ace and the others ran back in, "we just got a call from OpsBase. Something is going on in Brazil."

"I'll link up with Base from here," Michelle said. "I'll fill you in what's going on planet side on the way there."

"Right," Dan said. "Let's go people. Drilian we might need the extra help so come along."

"I am at your command Captain," she said joining them.

"No rest for the wicked," Boomer commented.

"That may be true for you Robert, but what about the rest of us?", Rev asked.

"Did Rev just crack on me again?"

"You're an easy target," Target told him.

"Told you so," Ace smirked.

"After the mission," Dan reminded. Hitting the elevator Dan asked them, "You guys ready?" The four of them made a gun shooting motion with their hand as they passed him. Drilian looked confused by the action. Dan smiled to himself as he got in and the door closed. No matter what they still had a job to do.


End file.
